Near miss for rail worker at Rowlands Castle

A railway worker was nearly hit by a 60mph train as he retrieved a bag from the tracks.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has launched a probe into the incident at Rowlands Castle station on December 19.

The Network Rail mobile operations manager was able to get on to a platform and clear of the train just before it passed through the station without stopping.

He avoided injury but he and the train driver were "distressed'', the RAIB said.

The man went on to the tracks without requesting that trains were stopped, according to investigators.

He was not aware of the non-stop service because he had contacted the wrong signaller to check if any trains were approaching.

The investigation will consider the factors affecting the man's decisions and how people in his role are trained.