POLICE were last night trying to contact the relatives of a woman who was killed after being hit by a train on Saturday.

Emergency services were called to Northallerton Station, in North Yorkshire, at 9.35am after receiving reports that a woman had been struck by a freight train.

The incident closed the East Coast Main Line for nearly two hours, causing long delays for passengers across the region.

The station was evacuated as forensic officers began their investigation.

A British Transport Police spokesman said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

He said: "It appears it was a deliberate act. We have the driver's account and independent witnesses have confirmed that."

The ambulance service was called but there was nothing they could do to help the woman, he said.

A North Yorkshire police spokesman said: "At 9.35am, we received a report of a person having been struck by a train at Northallerton Station.

"An investigation was launched immediately to try to identify her and trace her relatives."

Last night, the spokesman said the woman had been identified but that her name would not be released until relatives had been informed.

The closure of the East Coast Main Line caused delays of up to two hours on GNER, Virgin and Transpennine Express services. The line was reopened shortly after 11.20am.

A spokesman for Transpennine Express said: "We had about eight trains delayed and the worst was for about two hours. There was a knock-on effect throughout the day but all services were back to normal by early evening."