TSSA warning after rail worker killed by train

TSSA General Secretary, Manuel Cortes, has issued a safety warning after a railway track worker was struck and killed by a train this morning close to Surbiton Station on the South Western Railway (SWR).  

Emergency services are on the scene and an investigation into the incident, which happened around 11.38am, is ongoing. The person – who was working for Network Rail – has not been named. Two other workers who were nearby are not thought to have been hurt.  

The train involved was the 1106 service from London Waterloo to Hampton Court. All lines between Weybridge and Surbiton remain blocked. Disruption is expected until this evening. 

Manuel Cortes said: 

"Our thoughts and sympathies are with the worker who has died and their family members. Any loss of life on our railways is a tragedy. 

"It would be wrong to speculate at this time about what has gone wrong, but a full and thorough investigation must take place, so lessons can be learned. Our union has been warning Network Rail about the alarming number of near misses and fatalities we have seen over the past year.  

"Our Network Rail members do so much to keep our railways running smoothly day in day out and must be able to do this in a safe environment. Our union will never compromise on safety, and safety can never be taken for granted. It is simply not acceptable in this day and age that people go out to work and end up losing their lives."