Teenage girl killed on rail line

A 14-year-old girl died after she was struck by a passenger train near Oswestry, British Transport Police said today.

The accident happened near Ruabon station, two miles south of Wrexham. Emergency services were called just after 7pm yesterday but the teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses said the train driver braked sharply in an attempt to avoid the girl.

A BTP spokesman said an investigation was under way but there were no suspicious circumstances.

"British Transport Police is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a teenager on the railway line near Ruabon Railway Station," he said.

"At about 7pm yesterday officers from British Transport Police and North Wales Police responded to a report of a person being involved in a collision with the 4.35pm Holyhead to Cardiff Arriva Trains Wales service at Johnstown near to Ruabon Railway Station.

"The body of a 14-year-old female was discovered in the area. The circumstances regarding the incident are being investigated but are not being treated as suspicious. It is believed that no passengers on the train were injured."

All train services in the area were suspended after the accident and passengers on the train were taken by coach to Shrewsbury to continue their journey.

Welsh Assembly Government Culture Minister Alun Pugh, who was on the train, said: "The train braked very sharply shortly after leaving Wrexham and the train came to a complete halt. We were told the train had struck a child."

North Wales Police said it received a phone call just after 7pm informing them of an incident on the track at Johnstown, near Wrexham.