A sad day

Today's blip is all about a tragedy on my way to work this morning.

I drove to the station to catch my train to Bristol and arrived early enough to see the Manchester to Bristol express hurtle through.

But a few minutes later I noticed that the train had come to a halt 100 yards down the track. Strange, I thought. I couldn't remember seeing a train stop there before.

Then, with my own train imminent, two paramedics arrived on the platform, followed by anxious-looking police officers - and I could hear sirens in the distance growing louder.

One of my fellow commuters said he had seen the wheels of the train on fire as it came through the station. Then someone heard a paramedic say the train had hit something on the track.

My worst fears were later realised when I found out that someone had been killed on the line close to the station. The flames were caused by the driver desperately trying to bring the train to a halt.

It is the third occasion in a relatively short space of time that my journey has been affected by the death of someone on the line.

Three people no longer with us. So very sad.