A MAN has been killed after being hit by a train on the outskirts of York.

The man, said to be in his late 40s or early 50s, was struck by the TransPennine Express train at 7pm on Tuesday, near St Helen's Road, in Dringhouses.

An ambulance and rapid response vehicle were called, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers from British Transport Police are currently trying to establish the man's identity.

Sgt Robin Edwards said: "The train has come down, struck an individual and we're now trying to ascertain what exactly has taken place, but there are no suspicious circumstances."

Sgt Edwards said: "It's clear that when these incidents do take place, it's very distressing for those who attend the scene and particularly the train drivers as they are not in a position to do anything about it. They can't stop or turn, so it's very distressing for those involved."

York coroner Donald Coverdale has been informed about the death.

The line was cleared after about 90 minutes, but services were still disrupted. The National Express Kings Cross to Edinburgh service which should arrive in York at 7.23pm was delayed by 20 minutes.

A spokesman for TransPennine Express said the train involved was the 5.45pm Scarborough to Liverpool service, which was then delayed by an hour, but the driver was able to carry on through to Manchester.

It was the second horrific event on York's railway in the space of a few hours.

In an unrelated incident. The Press reported how a man ended up on the track in front of an oncoming 250-tonne train at York Railway Station at 1.45pm on Tuesday. That had a happier ending however, as the man lay down and the train passed over him before coming to a stop. He was taken to York Hospital suffering from nothing more than a few scrapes.

British Transport Police are now looking at CCTV footage of that incident to establish exactly what happened.

A spokeswoman for National Express, the operators of the station, said once BTP officers have finished their investigation they will look to see if any lessons can be learned regarding safety at the station.