A young mother was killed by an express train at a busy station after she jumped on to the tracks to retrieve her mobile phone.
The 23-year-old woman was arguing with her boyfriend on Wimbledon Station in south west London when she dropped her phone.
It bounced several times on Platform 7 before it fell on to the track. As she jumped after it her boyfriend begged her to get back onto the platform.
Moments later she was hit by the fast-moving Waterloo to Exeter service which passed through Wimbledon at 7.30pm on Sunday.
Police officers and paramedics arrived on the platform within minutes. But the woman, who lived in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Trains which pass through the station without stopping are allowed to travel at speeds of up to 75mph.
Rail officials said there would have been 10 express trains every hour passing though the station without stopping on the evening of the accident.
Last night friend Lewis Brown wrote on Twitter: ‘Just found out someone I knew well died at Wimbledon Station last night.
‘I am lost for words, she was an amazing young mother.’
Andrew Kelly, a 23-year-old councillor from Walton-on-Thames, added: ‘Very shocked to hear of the death of an old school friend at Wimbledon Station last night. Far, far too young.’
Police and rail bosses are studying CCTV images from the station to establish the full circumstances surrounding her death.
A source close to the enquiry said: ‘The CCTV footage shows a young woman and her boyfriend arguing.
‘She dropped her mobile phone which bounced on to the platform and on to the track.
‘She jumped down and got wiped out at 60mph. The boyfriend was shouting at her not to jump down.’
The British Transport Police, which is investigating the death, has informed the victim’s family.
Chief Inspector Alison Evans said: ‘This appears to have been a tragic accident and our thoughts remain with the woman’s family at this very difficult and sad time for them.’
There are two platforms on Wimbledon Station which have fast-moving trains passing them.
There are signs on both warning passengers to keep back from the platform edge.
And before each express train passes there is usually a warning announcement over the speaker system.
Officials are trying to establish if there was a warning to this effect before the train killed the woman on Sunday evening.
The tragedy reignited calls for more safety measures to be introduced at the station.
James Turnbull, 39, from Merton, said: 'It's totally shocking. I commute from this station every day and this is not the first time something like this has happened.
'People have been saying for a while there should be extra safety measures or a barrier to prevent people getting too close to the track.
‘Some of these trains that don't stop at Wimbledon or the freight trains are so fast. It's quite frightening.'
A member of staff at the coffee shop on the platform where the victim jumped on to the track said the tragedy is the second of its kind in three weeks.
'I don't know what people are thinking,’ she said. ‘It's a terrible thing to happen to this poor girl but people don't seem to think about how dangerous it is to go on the track.
‘It's like people go crazy for a minute and forget where they are.' Officials said the track was closed for several hours following the accident.
One said: 'It's a really awful thing when this happens. Everyone's pretty shocked today.'
Last year passengers said safety barriers should be put up and the speed limit through Wimbledon Station should be reduced after there were three rush-hour deaths within four months.