At the scene of this morning's accident. | Alejandro Sepulveda

TW
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Delays were caused to Majorca's rail network this morning when a pedestrian was hit by a train Palma as it emerged from a tunnel in an area of restricted access.

The accident happened at 7.20am along the stretch of line between the stations at Son Costa and Son Fuster in Palma. The railway sidings are closed off to the general public, but the 48-year-old man had managed to get into the restricted area.

Sources for the SFM Majorcan railway service and the 061 emergency service said that at first it was suspected that the 48-year-old had suffered serious injuries; he was rushed to intensive case at Son Espases Hospital.

Fortunately, doctors confirmed that he had escaped with only minor injuries, the worst being to one of his legs. He was discharged from hospital this afternoon.

As a result of the accident services along the line were postponed for 20 minutes. This led to delays to other services while accident investigators examined the scene and gathered evidence for their inquiry. It took until after midday for the network to be fully restored.

The National Police, with the cooperation and support of the railway service, is conducting a full investigation into the accident, in particular how the individual managed to access the restricted area and why.

This afternoon, the area around the accident remained cordoned off, and extra protection had been erected to prevent any more people getting so close to the train tracks.

SFM says that it is constantly working to increase and improve security along its lines.