Great Western Coffee Shop

I'm guessing that this is a normal FGW Portsmouth Hbr - Cardiff Ctrl service that struck the poor guy?

Trains between Salisbury and Westbury are being delayed up to 60 minutes due to Man being hit by a train near Warminster. (I'm guessing that this is a normal FGW Portsmouth Hbr - Cardiff Ctrl service that struck the poor guy?)

Trains between Salisbury and Westbury are being delayed up to 60 minutes due to Man being hit by a train near Warminster. (I'm guessing that this is a normal FGW Portsmouth Hbr - Cardiff Ctrl service that struck the poor guy?)

The "poor guy" (or woman) is the driver!

agreed.

The South West Trains 1.10pm Bristol Temple Meads to London Waterloo service was going at about 120mph at the time of the impact which killed the man and animal.

A pensioner who was killed on a railway line near Warminster, while trying to rescue his dog, has been named.

Retired estate agent Michael Hardy, had only lived in Codford for a few weeks when the tragic accident happened on Wednesday at about 2.15pm.

The 71-year-old who had moved to the village with his wife from Wokingham, had parked his car at Sherrington Lane, Codford before taking his dog for a walk.

He had crossed Sherrington Lane crossing and is thought to have gone back on to the line to retrieve his dog when he was struck by the South West Trains 1.10pm Bristol Temple Meads to London Waterloo service, which was going at about 120mph.

Police officers from Warminster Police station were first at the incident followed by officers from British Transport Police who secured the scene.

An inquest is expected to be opened next week.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch are looking into the incident.

like everyone has said there is no way i can see a 158/159 doing 120mph tops it would be doing 90/95 mph

Tributes to man killed in rail tragedy

A 70-year-old man from Codford died after trying to retrieve his dog from train tracks near his home. Michael Hardy had only lived in Codford for a few weeks when the tragic accident happened last Wednesday at about 2.15pm.

Mr Hardy of Greenhill Place, who had moved to the village with his wife, Anne, from Wokingham, had parked his car at Sherrington Lane, Codford, before taking his dog for a walk. He had crossed Sherrington Lane foot crossing, which links Sherrington Lane to The Grove, and is thought to have gone back on to the line to retrieve his dog, which also died in the incident. The 70-year-old was struck by the South West Trains 1.10pm Bristol Temple Meads to London Waterloo service on a 120mph stretch of line.

The retired estate agent founded Michael Hardy Estate Agents in Berkshire in 1985 but retired in 1997.

Managing director of the company, Neal Mackenzie, paid tribute to a naturally charming man. He said: ^Michael was that gentle hand on my shoulder just telling me to slow down. Michael never cared much about profit and loss, his eyes would always glaze over when I talked figures. It was dealing with houses that excited him. Michael^s greatest attributes other than his ability to see a potential deal where others couldn^t were his self-deprecating wit and natural charm. Whether it was a salt-of-the-earth builder or a group captain living on Finchampstead Ridges, Michael would have them chuckling within minutes of meeting them. He was a dear friend and I shall miss him greatly.^

Codford has two road crossings at Station Road and Sherrington Road and one foot crossing from The Grove to Sherrington Lane.

Chairman of Codford Parish Council, Romy Wyeth, confirmed that prior to this incident no complaints had been made to the council about the crossings. ^No-one has raised any safety concerns about the crossings in Codford because there is good visibility ^ you can see distances from the crossings,^ she said.

Karen Johnstone, who has been a Codford parish councillor for more than 20 years, added: ^ve used the rail crossing umpteen times myself with dogs and there^s never been a problem ^ this is just an unfortunate and dreadful accident. Nobody has come to the parish council to say there is a problem with any of the village crossings. There is great sadness in the village. It^s just dreadful, I cannot imagine how the family are feeling.^

Michael Hardy^s inquest was opened and adjourned on Friday by assistant coroner Dr Clare Balysz at Salisbury Coroner^s Office. A cause of death has been recorded as multiple injuries in keeping with collision with a train.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch are looking into the incident.