MELBOURNE - A seven-year-old boy wandered away from his Melbourne home and was playing on rail tracks in his pyjamas when he was hit and killed by a train this morning.
The boy's father had reported to police that his son was missing from their suburban Essendon homeat 7.50am (9.50am NZ time), just five minutes before he was struck by the train at the nearby Strathmore railway station, in Melbourne's north-west.
A man saw the boy, but was unable to get him off the tracks in time and paramedics tried to save him after the accident, police spokesman Wayne Wilson said.
The male driver of the single-carriage sprinter train was unable to stop in time to avoid hitting the boy, Broadmeadows Senior Sergeant Andrea McAlpine said.
"Our heart goes out to the family, the parents are obviously very distressed," she told reporters at the scene.
The city-bound V/Line express train that hit the boy had left Seymour, north of Melbourne, and would have been travelling at about 60km/h or less, V/Line spokesman Daniel Moloney said.
The line was closed to V/Line and metropolitan trains for about three hours after the accident, he said.
Mr Moloney also said the eight passengers on board, the driver and conductor had all been offered counselling.
"It's just a really sad occasion for everyone," he said.
Police are investigating and will prepare a report for the coroner.
