A MAN was killed after he walked into the path of a high speed train.

The middle-aged man, who has not been named, was struck by an InterCity express at Cholsey station, near Wallingford.

The man, who was aged between 40 and 50, is believed to come from Berkshire. Police are not treating his death as suspicious.

The train driver told British Transport Police officers he saw the man walking towards the train, but was unable to avoid the collision. The Great Western Bristol to Paddington train stopped a short distance from the station, near Fair Mile Hospital.

It then continued to Reading, where passengers were transferred to another train.

Sgt Dick Evans of the British Transport Police, said: "The man appears to have jumped off the platform on to the track and then walked towards the train.

"The driver saw the man 200 to 400 yards away, but at that speed he couldn't stop. There were a lot of people on the train, though they wouldn't have seen anything. They would just have felt a thud."

He added: "It is very traumatic for the driver, who has been relieved of his duties and offered counselling."

The incident caused delays to train services in both directions.

Story date: Tuesday 15 February

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.