Delays between Swindon and Bristol Parkway after person hit by train - 24/10/12

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From thisisbristol:

A person has been hit by a train between Swindon and Bristol Parkway which means there are currently delays of 45 mins. (1pm)

UPDATE 2PM

First Great Western services to South Wales are being diverted via Box and Patchway.

The Cardiff ^ Paddington service stopped at Westerleigh and returned to Bristol Parkway to divert via Box.

Trains are subject to short notice cancellation and delays of up to 45 minutes.

UPDATE 2.20PM

Incident declared non suspicious by British Transport Police (BTP^▸ (British Transport Police)) at 13.21pm.

Network Rail said: "We have received a report from the driver of the First Great Western 11:15am service from London Paddington to Cardiff Central that they may have hit a person between Hullavington and Alderton tunnel.

"Both lines are closed between Wootton Bassett and Westerleigh Junction near Chipping Sodbury.

"Dignity Funerals Ltd called at 12.47pm."

UPDATE 2.40PM:

The BTP have authorised the train to go forward.

The train is expected to move forward at about 2.30pm.

The body will then be recovered and normal working is estimated for 2.45pm.

The train will go to Bristol Parkway, terminate then return empty to Old Oak Common.

[bobm]

Thoughts will all those involved.

However if a local newspaper's role is to "educate and inform", as I was always told it was - this is very strange way of reporting things.  It is almost as though they have got access to internal railway logs.

While many of us on here will understand it as written, I am not sure it would have been too enlightening for the general public.

[Chris from Nailsea]

An alternative style of reporting the incident, from the Wilts & Gloucestershire Standard:

Rail delays after person hit on tracks in Wiltshire

Mainline rail services between Swindon and Bristol were badly disrupted this afternoon after a train hit a person on the tracks near Grittleton, Wiltshire.

Delays were expected to last until 4pm. A fault with line-side equipment between Didcot and Parkway added to the problem.

[bobm]

Problems on the same stretch of line again today.

NRE^▸ (National Rail Enquiries) reports

Emergency services are dealing with an incident between Swindon and Bristol Parkway.

[bobm]

This has just appeared on This is Bristol.

Trains on the Paddington to Swansea line had to be diverted today after reports of a body near the track - which turned out to be a drunk man.

Shortly before midday the driver of the 10.45 Paddington to Swansea service, which passes through Bristol Parkway, reported that he had seen what he believed to be a body near the line near Brinkworth.

But when Network Rail staff and paramedics arrived at the site, they realised the "body" was in fact a man who was still alive, but "very drunk".

Paramedics stretchered him away from the scene and trains were diverted via Box where required.

Trains are now back to normal but eight trains were delayed for 76 minutes during the incident.