Woman killed by train at Highbridge & Burnham station (16 July 2010)

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From thisisthewestcountry:

Rail services have returned to normal after a woman was hit by a train and killed at Highbridge and Burnham station earlier.

Operator First Great Western says routes between Bristol and Penzance are up and running again and are now calling at Highbridge.

The station has now reopened and all lines are running as normal.

Emergency services were called shortly after 11am following reports a woman, believed to be in her 50s, had been hit by a train on the tracks at the station.

The train involved was the 0925hrs Plymouth to Aberdeen Crosscounty service.

The train came to a halt a short time after the collision and the station was closed almost immediately afterwards.

Passengers were moved out to the entrance as police and paramedics were first to arrive on the scene.

Crosscountry has confirmed the train has now moved while the passengers were taken to Bristol Temple Meads before changing to alternative services.

Police cordoned off the platform and many passengers arriving at the station were left to wait for coaches to take them to Weston before continuing with their journeys.

First Great Western said 14 trains were half cancelled, which means they only completed part of their intended journey.

A total of eight replacement coach services have been in operation between Taunton and Weston.

The woman has not been identified but British Transport Police have confirmed she was pronounced dead at the scene and the incident is not currently being treated as suspicious.

A BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) spokesman said: ^I can confirm that a woman has died after being struck by a train at Highbridge rail station, Somerset, today (Friday). The incident was reported to police at 11.08am. BTP officers, colleagues from Avon and Somerset Police and paramedics from the Great Western Ambulance Service attended, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

^The incident is currently being treated as non-suspicious. Enquiries are ongoing to establish woman^s identity and the full circumstances surrounding the incident. A file will be prepared for the coroner.^

Crosscountry Trains refused to comment on what has happened to the train driver but says there is a ^clear process on looking after staff^, adding staff received ^appropriate care^ following the incident.

[JayMac]

I was sort of caught up in this one. Information I gleaned from FGW^▸ (First Great Western) staff was that the service involved was 1S39 CrossCountry from Plymouth to Aberdeen. Whilst at Temple Meads I noticed that the 1200 to Paddington was showing as cancelled although I couldn't find out whether it was stuck behind the the XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) service or whether it had been re-routed via Cogload.

I was travelling down to WSM on the 1153 ex BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains) and this service was caped at Weston with onward road transport to Highbridge, Bridgwater and Taunton as the line between Weston and Taunton was closed. When I returned to WSM at 1430 services were running again although at that time not calling at Highbridge.

So on a personal note, glad I didn't miss my bit of LHCS^▸ (Locomotive Hauled Coaching Stock) from Weston to Bristol.

As always in these situations, sympathy and thoughts to the driver concerned.

[fatcontroller]

12:00 from Bristol (07:36 Penzance - Paddington) was diverted non-stop from Taunton to Chippenham, via Athelney, Westbury and Melksham. Was 16mins late from Taunton and 11 late at Chippenham !!

[JayMac]

I suspected as much with the 0736 FGW^▸ (First Great Western) ex PNZ. Heard later that a couple of XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) services from the south west were diverted via Westbury. The 1538 ex WSM XC was showing as cancelled at Weston-super-Mare. Guess that was one of the services that ran from Taunton to Bristol via Westbury.

[smithy]

From thisisthewestcountry:

Rail services have returned to normal after a woman was hit by a train and killed at Highbridge and Burnham station earlier.

Operator First Great Western says routes between Bristol and Penzance are up and running again and are now calling at Highbridge.

The station has now reopened and all lines are running as normal.

Emergency services were called shortly after 11am following reports a woman, believed to be in her 50s, had been hit by a train on the tracks at the station.

The train involved was the 0925hrs Plymouth to Aberdeen Crosscounty service.

The train came to a halt a short time after the collision and the station was closed almost immediately afterwards.

Passengers were moved out to the entrance as police and paramedics were first to arrive on the scene.

Crosscountry has confirmed the train has now moved while the passengers were taken to Bristol Temple Meads before changing to alternative services.

Police cordoned off the platform and many passengers arriving at the station were left to wait for coaches to take them to Weston before continuing with their journeys.

First Great Western said 14 trains were half cancelled, which means they only completed part of their intended journey.

A total of eight replacement coach services have been in operation between Taunton and Weston.

The woman has not been identified but British Transport Police have confirmed she was pronounced dead at the scene and the incident is not currently being treated as suspicious.

A BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) spokesman said: ^I can confirm that a woman has died after being struck by a train at Highbridge rail station, Somerset, today (Friday). The incident was reported to police at 11.08am. BTP officers, colleagues from Avon and Somerset Police and paramedics from the Great Western Ambulance Service attended, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

^The incident is currently being treated as non-suspicious. Enquiries are ongoing to establish woman^s identity and the full circumstances surrounding the incident. A file will be prepared for the coroner.^

Crosscountry Trains refused to comment on what has happened to the train driver but says there is a ^clear process on looking after staff^, adding staff received ^appropriate care^ following the incident.

the runour around bristol depot last night was the female struck by train was a 14 year old?

[Chris from Nailsea]

All the press coverage so far is quite clear in describing her as 'a woman in her 50s' or 'a middle-aged woman'.

See http://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/2010/suicide-16-07-10.php

[JayMac]

Follow up from Burham-on-sea.com, giving details of the identity of the woman hit by a train at Highbridge on Friday 16th July.

NOTE: Unable to quote the story here on the forum due to copyright preventing copy-and-paste of the text.

[6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01]

it is a strange feeling when you know at some point in your history you have made contact with someone that is now dead

[johoare]

Two further posts on this topic have been moved to Frequent posters club...

[JayMac]

From the Burham and Highbridge Weekly News:

Tributes paid to popular Lynette Rawles

The heartbroken husband of a woman who died after being hit by a train has described her as a ^devoted mother^ and ^everyone's friend^.

Mother-of-two Lynette Rawles, aged 61, of Church Street, Mark, was pronounced dead at the scene following the collision at Highbridge and Burnham station on Friday morning.

British Transport Police confirmed the incident was not being treated as suspicious.

Mrs Rawles' husband of 41 years, Alan, has paid this week paid tribute to the former secretary of Mark College.

He told the Weekly News: ^Lynette was a devoted mother and everyone, particularly our children Hannah, who is 30, and Simon, who is 34, is shocked and devastated. She was born and bred in Mark and was very popular and well loved - she was everyone's friend. She enjoyed flower arranging, swimming, walking and keeping fit, and was just a really nice person. Everyone is heartbroken and it's absolutely tragic but we are trying to remain positive.^

Sales manager Mr Rawles, 63, added the funeral would not take place until early August, as their daughter Hannah, who lives in London, is due to get married this Saturday.

He said: ^We decided the wedding will still go ahead after a lot of discussion and all we can do is make the best of it.^

Julie Kay, principal at Mark College, said: ^Everyone at Mark College is shocked and saddened by Lyn's death. She was a valued colleague and friend. All our thoughts and sympathies are with her family at this very sad time.^

Neighbours and rail travellers spoke of their shock after popular mum Lynette Rawles was killed after being hit by a train at Highbridge station on Friday.

The Weekly News spoke to several people at the scene in the aftermath of the tragedy, which saw major travel disruption throughout the South-West as 14 trains were cancelled.

One woman, Nadine, was playing in the park with her young son Dennis while they waited for their train back to London.

She said: ^We didn't realise what had happened at first - we had been staying here on holiday and this was really upsetting.^

Barmaid Shelley Woolacott, who works in the Coopers Arms next to the train station, said three women came into the pub crying and distressed.

She added: ^They were heading back to Bristol and the youngest woman was only about 18 or 19 and she said she never wanted to come here again.^

Sam May, 18, who lives opposite the station, was walking past at the time and said she was shocked after discovering what had happened.

The station was closed for most of the day as British Transport Police carried out investigations.

The train involved was the 9.25am Plymouth to Aberdeen Crosscountry service, and the firm confirmed staff received ^appropriate care^ following the incident.

West Somerset Coroner Michael Rose said an inquest into Mrs Rawles' death was likely to open in the next few days.