Lucky escape for taxi driver and passenger after turning onto railway tracks

A taxi driver and their passenger had a lucky escape after taking a wrong turn onto railway tracks in Northumberland.

They managed to get out of the vehicle "in the nick of time" as a train approached and crashed into the taxi between Hexham and Carlisle shortly before 7.15pm on Monday.

The impact left the rear end of the car mangled underneath the Northern train.

Both the driver and passenger of the taxi escaped without injury.

The taxi had turned onto the railway line at a level crossing in the Haydon Bridge area.

Trains on the line were cancelled and rail replacement buses put in place while investigations were carried out and the debris was removed from the scene.

A British Transport Police spokesperson said: "Officers were called to Warden Level Crossing, Hexham, at 7.16pm yesterday after reports that a taxi had been struck by a train.

"Colleagues from the ambulance service and the fire and rescue service also attended. No casualties have been reported.

"This incident is not currently being treated as suspicious and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch has been informed."

A Northern spokesperson said: "As a result of the collision it was necessary to amend rail services on the route during Monday evening whilst work continued to remove debris and repair damage to the tracks.

"We apologise for any delay this may have caused to our customers' journeys."