Commuters were trapped inside train carriages for two and a half hours after a man was hit and killed by a train in Harpenden yesterday.

The 59-year-old man from St Albans was killed after being hit by a train causing commuters travelling from Corby to London St Pancras to be delayed by two and a half hours.

Sinead Blackman, who was travelling on the first carriage of the train from Luton with her friend, said "the train was busy with people wanting to get into London."

The 22-year-old said: "We were on the train around ten minutes and then it just came to a sudden halt.

"We were on there for around two and a half hours. I was meant to be travelling to London with my friend to see the Britain’s got Talent auditions, but we never made it.

"Everyone on my carriage seemed pretty frustrated and many were complaining about their phones losing battery and the time it was taking."

The British Transport Police and Hertfordshire Constabulary were called to Harpenden train station at around 3.20pm. The death is not being treated as suspicious and the man’s family have been informed.