A ball of flames has been seen after a train heading to London struck a van stuck on the railway in Kent.
The Southeastern Rail service collided with an ‘obstruction’ by Teynham around midday on Sunday.
Network Rail confirmed the high-speed train struck a van on the line outside of the village between Newington and Faversham.
A spokesman added: ‘Police are on site and working to resolve the incident.’
Early reports suggest the train slammed into the van stuck on a level crossing.
Footage from the scene appears to shows a huge fire in greenery close to the railway as police arrive.
Passengers stuck on the train asked the rail company over social media to open the doors as temperatures rose following the collision.
(Pictures: UKNIP)
Southeastern Rail confirmed the collision with a post on X: ‘We have received reports of a train hitting an obstruction on the track at Teynham.
‘We are still awaiting confirmation of the severity of the incident. Services between Canterbury East & Victoria are expected to be disrupted.’
They added in an update: ‘A train has collided with an obstruction on the track at Teynham blocking the line.
Latest London news
- Mother screamed ‘my boy, my boy’ after fire ripped through block of flats
- ‘A real nuisance’ – Londoners have their say on the city’s e-bike boom
- Woman screamed ‘Oh my god’ after man was stabbed to death outside Casino
To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro’s London news hub.
‘Replacement buses are running between Gillingham – Faversham & Sittingbourne – Sheerness.’
Network Rail said the disruption caused by the collision is expected to last until 6pm.
They added: ‘Trains running between Newington / Sheerness-on-Sea and Sittingbourne / Faversham will be cancelled or revised.’
British Transport Police has been approached for comment.
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.