Man dies after car hit by train at Yarnton level crossing

Network Rail said a problem at the barrier last year had since been fixed

A man has died after the car he was in was struck by a freight train at a level crossing in Oxfordshire.

British Transport Police (BTP) said officers were called to Sandy Lane level crossing, Yarnton, at 15:40 GMT.

It is believed two people were in the Renault Kangoo at the time. The man, a passenger, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The car driver was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford with minor injuries.

Cross Country and First Great Western services between Oxford and Banbury have been disrupted.

The train involved was travelling from Trafford Park in Greater Manchester to Southampton. The driver of the train is reported to be shaken but uninjured.

Full working order

A BTP spokesman said: "The driver pulled the emergency brake but was unable to stop in time."

He said officers were at the scene working to establish how the car came to be on the track.

Network Rail said there had been a problem at the crossing a year ago, with the barrier rising and falling slowly, but it had been fixed and it was in full working order before the crash.

A spokeswoman said the fault was fixed when a treadle, which operates the crossing when triggered by an approaching train, was replaced.

She said : "The level crossing was in full working order beforehand. The lights were working and the barriers.

"That is part of the investigation so we will be looking at that. There is nothing to suggest it was not working beforehand."

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has been informed.

First Great Western said it was expecting disruption to services to continue into the early hours of Thursday.