Railway worker killed by passenger train near Surbiton

South Western Railway said a person was struck by a train between Surbiton and Weybridge

A rail worker who was hit by a passenger train has died.

The 30-year-old man from Hampshire was struck by a service operated by South Western Railway near Surbiton, Kingston, south-west London, shortly after 11:30 GMT.

Power to the tracks was switched off to allow emergency services access to the scene.

The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA), has called for a "full and thorough" investigation.

Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the TSSA, said it was wrong to speculate about what happened but said its members had warned Network Rail about the "alarming number of near misses and fatalities" that had happened over the past year.

'Not acceptable'

"Our Network Rail members do so much to keep our railways running smoothly day in, day out, and must be able to do this in a safe environment," he added.

"Our union will never compromise on safety, and safety can never be taken for granted. It is simply not acceptable in this day and age that people go out to work and end up losing their lives."

Rail Minister Chris-Heaton Harris said the government would work "closely with the British Transport Police and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch as they conduct their investigations".

The victim's family have been informed.

British Transport Police said: "This is a tragic incident which has resulted in the very sad death of a railway worker.

"Our deepest condolences are with the man's family who are being supported by specially trained officers."