A woman killed by an express train had walked around boom gates and into its path, Queensland police say. It is believed that the woman was running late for a different train that had stopped at Cannon Hill station, in Brisbane's east, and didn't see the express service coming when she walked on to the track.
Inspector Joe Jaramazovic says investigations indicate that the woman walked around the traffic barriers in Barrack Road, near the station, after she unsuccessfully tried to push open a pedestrian gate just before 7am (AEST) on Friday.
A number of witnesses saw her walk on to the track while the boom gates were down and red lights flashing, he said.
The express train is believed to have been travelling in excess of 50km/h when it hit her.
Police believe that the woman is a 31-year-old Asian in Australia on a working visa.
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They are working with consulate officials to confirm her identity.
Insp Jaramazovic says the incident is another tragic reminder of the dangers of level crossings.
He says it's not uncommon for a person stressing about missing a train to forget to look left and right before crossing on to the tracks.
"It's unfortunate we have a lot of these cases and far too many close calls," he said.
