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Leeds: Probe into train death of railway worker
An investigation was under way today into the death of a railway worker hit by a train just outside Leeds City Station.
The 60-year-old man was struck by the Northern Rail train at Whitehall Junction, Wortley, shortly before 9.45am yesterday.
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He was taken to Leeds General Infirmary by ambulance but later died.
British Transport Police are probing the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Officials from the Department for Transport's Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) were yesterday also sent to the station to carry out what was described as a "preliminary examination" of the scene.
Police said the dead man was a track worker for Network Rail, the organisation responsible for the country's railway infrastructure. Network Rail said it could not comment in detail on the accident, pending the outcome of the police and RAIB inquiries.
A spokesman did say, though, that, as the train involved had only just pulled out of the station, it would have been travelling at "low speed" at the time of the collision.
The four-carriage train was not in service and was being returned to a depot in the Skipton area. It was unoccupied except for its driver. Several routes at the station were shut down for about 30 minutes following the incident.
The section of track where the accident happened remained closed until around midday. Passengers faced delays of up to 50 minutes while the station got back to normal.
Bob Crow, general secretary of the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, said: "This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the friends and family of our member who has lost his life doing his job.
"RMT will be playing a full role in the investigations into exactly how it happened. We will ensure there is an open and transparent inquiry, that the full facts are established and that any appropriate action is taken as a consequence of those investigations."
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Weather for Leeds
Friday 18 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 8 C to 12 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North
