SOUTHAMPTON Central railway station has reopened after a man died when he was hit by a train.

The man, who has not yet been identified, was hit by a train near to the entrance to Southampton Tunnel shortly before 1.40pm.

Trains are now running again throught the station, but bosses are warning of delays of up to an hour during the busy evening rush hour.

Bus services had been laid on through the afternoon to replace some services, while others were diverted.

The incident has caused major headaches for commuters, as well as revellers attempting to make it to the Isle of Wight Festival.

A British Transport Police (BTP) spokeswoman said: “BTP officers were called to the line close to Southampton Central rail station on Friday, 10 June after a report that a man had been struck by a train.

“BTP and officers from Hampshire Constabulary attended the incident, which was reported to police at 1.39pm and is currently being treated as unexplained.

“Paramedics from the South Central Ambulance Service also attended but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

"The incident is currently ongoing, and officers are working to establish the man's identity.

“A file will be prepared for the coroner.”

The train involved was as the 12.03 service from Weymouth to Waterloo.

Replacement buses were running between Eastleigh, Southampton Central and Brockenhurst, while trains on the Cardiff to Portsmouth line are being diverted via Eastleigh, and are not calling at Southampton.

Trains between London Victoria and Southampton Central were altered to start and terminate at Bognor Regis, while those running between Brighton and Southampton Central were starting and terminating at Havant.

A South West Trains spokesperson said: "We are extremely disappointed and sorry that our passengers face further disruption today as a result of this earlier incident.

"We will continue to work hard with our colleagues in Network Rail and the police to re-open the line as quickly as possible."