Commuters have spoken out about their distressing experience after a man was killed after being hit by a train at Sydenham Hill station. 

Emergency services rushed to the scene, along College Road, just after 1.30pm yesterday (October 26).

Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service (LAS) pronounced a man dead at the scene.

A spokeswoman for the British Transport Police (BTP) said: “Officers are currently working to establish the identity of the man and inform his family.

“A file will be prepared for the coroner.”

Commuters on the train which hit the man said they were held in a tunnel with no ‘power or way of communicating’ for more than an hour after the incident.

CEO Richard Morten, from near Westmoreland Road in Bromley, told News Shopper: “As passengers we too all knew far too well that the train we had been in had hit someone who lost their life.

"Whilst we did not see what happened, it is still quite upsetting and stressful.

“At Sydenham Hill it was visible where the man had hit the train by the washing of the platform surface and the clearly visible signs of blood on the side of the platform all too visible from the London bound platform.”

Mr Morten, 40, praised how the driver and the guard handled the situation, but criticised Southeastern’s response.

He added: “The customer support offered by Southeastern is poor.

“There had been plenty of stressed passengers and children on the train.

“The driver who was no doubt going through a horrific time along with the guard did an outstanding job on the train with the passengers in keeping them calm, along later with some support from the emergency services whilst in the tunnel.

"It’s a shame that others within Southeastern cannot get close to matching them.”

News Shopper:

Rev Schunemann

He claims after mixed messages Southeastern instructed passengers to go back to Victoria, but the train supposedly waiting for them to continue their journey left without them as they were told the wrong platform. 

Reverend Bernhard Schunemann, from the neighbouring Parish Church of St Stephen, also along College Road, expressed his shock and sadness on behalf of the community.

He told News Shopper: “I’ve never heard of this happening here at this station, but on this line I have.

“It’s quite rare for the community, obviously people are very shocked and sad.”

Rev Schunemann was conducting a funeral inside the church when tragedy struck.

He added: “I heard the helicopter around 2pm. I didn’t realise something serious had happened, only when I came out at 3pm I realised.

“I can’t remember if the station was taped off but an ambulance was there. It was blocked off with police cars.”

A 24-year-old man who was at the funeral, named only as Steven, said he saw swarms of police and paramedics at the scene.

Steven, from south-east London, told News Shopper: "One of my colleagues heard someone screaming and a woman came running out the station screaming 'someone's been hit by a train'.

"They said she was just outside the station screaming." 

A spokesman for Southeastern said: "For their safety passengers were kept on the affected train between Sydenham Hill and Penge East while emergency services managed the incident.

"They were then guided to a train heading to Victoria while the impacted train was taken out of service.

“We understand passengers were unable to immediately board a train at Victoria, we are investigating this issue and are extremely sorry for the inconvenience caused."

Would you like to leave a tribute? Get in touch on Rebecca.Flood@london.newsquest.co.uk