A man has died after being hit by a train between Darlington and Newcastle this morning.

Officers were called to the tracks near Chester Le Street Station at 6am today (30 October) following reports of a casualty on the tracks.

A British Transport Police spokesperson said: "Sadly a man was pronounced dead at the scene.

"The incident is not being treated as suspicious and a file has been prepared for the coroner."

An LNER spokesperson confirmed a man had been hit by a train earlier today.

They said: "It is with great sadness that we report that a person has been hit by a train between Newcastle and Darlington.

"Services are subject to delays when passing in the surrounding area."

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The service provider has confirmed disruption caused by the incident has now ended.

If you or someone close to you has been affected by this incident or any other, there is always someone to talk to.  You can contact the Samaritans on 116123 free at any time, on any phone.

The CALM Helpline number is 0800 58 58 58, or 0808 802 58 58 in London.