Person dies after collision with train in West Sussex

British Transport Police (BTP) said officers were called to Bognor Regis railway station at around 11.15pm on Wednesday (December 11) following ‘reports of a casualty on the tracks’.

"Paramedics also attended, however sadly a person was pronounced dead at the scene,” a BTP spokesperson added.

"The incident is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”

Southern Rail reported that the line between Bognor Regis and Barnham was blocked at 11.20pm on Wednesday ‘due to a problem currently under investigation’.

A social media update 20 minutes later read: “It is with great sadness that we report a person has been hit by a train between Bognor Regis and Barnham.

“All lines will be blocked between these stations whilst the emergency services work to deal with this incident.

“The line will be closed until the end of service tonight, so you will need to use an alternative route for journeys to/from Bognor Regis.”

Southern Rail warned passengers that alternative travel options in the area were ‘limited’, so ‘please speak to station staff for assistance’.

By 12.30am on Thursday, services were ‘no longer being impacted following this tragic incident’.

A Southern Rail spokesperson added: “We work closely with the Samaritans and support the work they do. If you or someone close to you has been affected by this or any incident, there is always someone to talk to.

"Contact Samaritans on 116 123 free at any time, on any phone. Help & advice is only a phone call away.

“If your journey has been delayed by 15 mins or more, you can claim delay repay compensation which you can choose to donate to the Samaritans to support their life-saving work: https://www.southernrailway.com/help-and-support/delay-repay-compensation.”