The Invercargill accident is the second time a person has been hit by a train in the past week.
Another pedestrian is dead after being struck by a train.
Emergency services swarmed an Invercargill street after a person was hit by the train at a level crossing this afternoon.
The accident occurred five days after 13-year-old Matamata College student Sarie Morton was fatally struck by a train.
Police said today’s incident happened on Elles Rd, closing it between Tweed and Forth St.
“Police responded to the scene around 5.20pm, where a person was located deceased,” a police spokesperson said.
“A scene examination has been conducted and police and KiwiRail are working to clear the scene.
“Police are working to identify the person involved and inquiries remain ongoing.”
Fire and Emergency New Zealand confirmed two fire trucks were responding to the incident but referred all questions to police as the lead agency.
KiwiRail executive general manager operations Paul Ashton said a northbound freight train was involved in a collision with a person on the main south line in Invercargill.
“The collision happened at the Ness St pedestrian crossing, which has a pedestrian maze and signage,” Ashton said.
“The freight train was travelling from Invercargill to Dunedin. It is a general freight train but was only carrying coal at the time.
“The train driver has been relieved and is being offered support.
“We thank the first responders and those who provided assistance at the scene.”
Last week Sarie Morton died after being hit by a train on Firth St, in the Waikato town of Matamata.
Police and WorkSafe are looking into the incident.
Matamata-Piako Mayor Adrienne Wilcock said she would be assisting relevant authorities to see if anything could have been done to prevent the tragedy.
That included looking at recommendations to see if a fence is needed along the roadside of the tracks across from the school.
KiwiRail failed to follow a decade-old coroner’s recommendation to fence off an area of railway line where the young Matamata College student was killed.
In December 2012, Coroner Peter Ryan recommended that a section of rail corridor in Matamata be fenced after 15-year-old Zakariah Paul Lang was fatally struck by a train in July of that year.
Lang was killed instantly near Station Rd, not far from where Sarie Morton died near College Rd.
KiwiRail said last week that it was looking into the coroner’s recommendation with the council.
The victim's flatmate describes how he spoke to him only a few hours earlier.