Man hit and killed by train after escaping custody van headed to court

16:39, 28 May 2026Updated 16:58, 28 May 2026

A man died after being hit by a train near Welwyn North railway station(Image: Newsquest / SWNS)

A man was hit and killed by a speeding train after escaping from a custody vehicle transporting him from a police station to a court hearing, police have said.

The man, in his 40s, escaped from the vehicle while it was stationary on the A1 motorway, Hertfordshire Police and British Transport Police[1] (BTP) said in a joint statement.

After escaping the vehicle, BTP performed a search of the area, where they discovered a casualty on the tracks near to Welwyn North railway station.

Two members of transport contractor staff were also hospitalised during the escape attempt following "an altercation in the van," but are not thought to have suffered serious injuries.

Formal identification of the body has yet to take place, although police say the man's family had been made aware of the incident.

The escape occurred at around 9am on Thursday, the force added. Hertfordshire Police has since referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and a file has been prepared for the coroner.

Resident David Elsdon, 82, who lives close to the train station, said he had never seen so many police before and that the incident was "a bit of a shock."

"We were just out the front ready to leave for the town and inundated with a number of police cars coming along," he told the BBC[2].

"I think we passed 10 in total before we got out on to the main road."

Inquires are underway "to establish the full circumstances and officers will remain in the area while initial investigations continue", a police spokesperson said in a statement.

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