Rescue after man struck by train

A man hit by a freight train has been rescued alive after being trapped underneath its wheels for two hours.

He was struck by the southbound locomotive on the Forth Bridge near Edinburgh at about 1815 GMT, forcing the train to a halt.

British Transport Police said the victim was released by emergency crews about 2010 GMT. He was taken to Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline.

The incident caused considerable disruption to rail services.

All trains to Dundee were suspended and trains to Aberdeen and Inverness were diverted via Stirling.

Police officers said the man was not a rail worker.

Lifting gear

They described the incident as "not suspicious".

It is thought the man was hit on the southern end of the bridge just north of Dalmeny Station in Edinburgh.

Five teams of firefighters from Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue were sent to the scene with heavy duty lifting gear after train operators alerted the emergency services.

The fire crews were armed with giant inflatable bags capable of holding the weight of a freight locomotive.

Officers worked with a Scottish Ambulance Service specialist trauma team to release the man from the track.

British Transport Police said the train was an EWS Railways freight service, bound for Hunterston in Ayrshire.