Rail death shocks Widdrington Station residents

Jul 9 2009 The Journal

A NORTHUMBERLAND village was in shock last night after a man was killed by a speeding freight train.

Police and ambulance services were called to Widdrington Station, near Morpeth, at around 5.30pm, where the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

British Transport Police confirmed the man, named locally as 19-year-old Daniel Blacklock, was hit by a DB Schenker freight train, travelling South between Dalzeil, Scotland, and Lackenby in North Yorkshire.

The victim’s family, who live in the village, were too upset to speak last night, while police confirmed the death is not being treated as suspicious. Trains were halted as emergency services sealed off the scene, but no long delays were reported.

A spokesman for British Transport Police (BTP) said: “The incident was reported to the police at 5.39pm and was attended by BTP, officers from Northumbria Police and the Ambulance Service.

“The train involved was a DB Schenker service and the incident is not being treated as suspicious.

“The line was handed back to the railway at just after 7.04pm.

“The body awaits a formal identification and inquiries by BTP are ongoing. A file will be prepared for the local coroner.”

Last night friends of Daniel gathered at the scene to pay their respects. One woman, who did not want to be named, said: “He was a lovely lad. I know his brother quite well, but no one can believed this has happened.

“His family are in shock and they can’t believe what’s happening to them.”

A man, who lives just metres away from the scene of the accident, said the village had been swarming with police and ambulances.

He said: “The trains were stopped in both directs for ages and the place was covered in police cars.

“It took about an hour for everything to get back to normal but there have been a lot of people coming to the scene and crying and upset.”