PASSENGERS travelling to Bournemouth were alarmed when their train ground to a halt when a bike was left on the track.

The Weymouth-bound train from Waterloo was already delayed when it came to a standstill near Christchurch on Tuesday night. Passengers in the front carriage reported seeing the flash of light and hearing banging sounds.

Guards on board the train confirmed the train had hit a bike which had been left on the lines.

Chris Odgers, 46, from Poole said: "I was in the front carriage on the right hand side facing forward when suddenly there was a massive white flash.

"We could hear it banging and in that instance, something didn't seem right.

"We slowed down to a stop near the Bailey Bridge part and stayed there for around 45 minutes."

Mr Odgers, who was travelling home from work added: "The staff were great. The guard was keeping us updated and they were inspecting the train to make sure they had all the parts of the bike."

A South Western Railway spokesperson said: “We are sorry for the delays to services yesterday in the Bournemouth area which was caused by a bike being left on the track.

"This meant that the power to the line was switched off whilst the track was cleared and deemed safe to run trains on again.”