Three killed in level crossing collision

Three people were killed when a train hit a car at a level crossing in Scotland yesterday, police said.

The crash, involving an Inverness-to-Wick train, happened at Halkirk in Caithness, Northern Constabulary said. The three victims are believed to have been in the car. No one on board the two-carriage train was injured. It left Inverness at 10.38am and was carrying 18 passengers and four staff at the time of the collision.

Police said it was not known if anyone else was in the car. Local politicians called for an inquiry into the collision. Jamie Stone, the Liberal Democrat MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, said: "This is an appalling tragedy and our hearts go out to the families involved. Public confidence in these rural crossings is paramount and we need to find out what happened and why as soon as possible. We also need to make sure that any chance of this happening is reduced to the minimum." The Road Policing Unit is investigating the incident.