A man has died after a train collided with a van at a level crossing in West Lancashire on Saturday afternoon. The collision occurred at the Martins Lane level crossing in Burscough, on the rail line situated between New Lane and Bescar Lane stations.

Emergency services were alerted at 3.18pm following reports that a train had struck a vehicle on the tracks. British Transport Police officers were dispatched to the scene, with paramedics and the fire service also attending to manage the emergency response.

British Transport Police confirmed that only one person was inside the vehicle, and a man was pronounced dead at the scene. In addition, two passengers travelling on board the train received treatment from paramedics for minor injuries.

At this stage, police have confirmed that the incident is not being treated as suspicious. Inquiries are currently ongoing as investigators work to determine the full circumstances of what took place at the crossing.

A spokesman for the British Transport Police explained: "Inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what happened, any witnesses who haven’t already spoken to police are asked to text BTP on 61016 quoting the reference 373 of August 29." If you have any relevant information and have not yet been in touch with officers, that is the reference and number to use.

The collision caused immediate and widespread disruption across the local railway network. Network Rail posted an update on X confirming that train services had been suspended between Southport and Manchester while emergency services worked at the Martins Lane site.

National Rail also reported on its website that all lines were closed between Wigan Wallgate and Southport. The authority advised that travel disruption was expected to continue throughout the remainder of Saturday.

To help travellers reach their destinations, rail operator Northern brought in replacement bus transport between Wigan Wallgate and Southport into the evening.

A spokesman from Northern outlined key guidance for passengers, stating: "Please check station information posters for the location of the bus pick-up points and be advised that bicycles, e-bikes and dogs (except for service dogs) are not permitted on replacement road transport." The operator also cautioned that journeys could be extended by up to 60 minutes when using road transport.

What remains to be established is exactly how the vehicle came to be on the crossing at the time of the collision, and police inquiries will continue to focus on uncovering those precise details. I'll be keeping track of any further information released by the British Transport Police and railway authorities. I'll be following this one.