Passengers in train tunnel drama

The train hit an object on the line in the Severn Tunnel

Passengers were forced to evacuate a train in the Severn Tunnel on Friday afternoon, after a carriage filled with smoke.

Fumes entered the carriage when the driver made an emergency stop after hitting an object on the line.

Passengers used ladders to get off the train and walked along the tracks to reach carriages on the other side of the engine.

The tunnel was closed for around two hours, but reopened at 1614 BST.

British Transport Police said the train hit an electrical fire cover lodged against the tunnel wall, which had fallen off another train earlier in the afternoon.

The driver thought the train had hit a body.

Wessex Trains said one passenger was taken to hospital for tests after the train was taken out of service on leaving the tunnel.

The 42 passengers on the train were delayed by around two and a half hours.

They were on the 1320 Wessex Trains service between Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff.

An investigation is under way to determine the cause of the incident.