Assault victim dragged along rail line by train

A MAN was dragged along by a train after being punched and falling on to the railway track.

The 32-year-old victim suffered serious injuries and is being treated in hospital.

The man, who was with his wife, was attacked after getting off a train from Edinburgh at Coatbridge Sunnyside station, North Lanarkshire.

A man on the platform punched him, causing him to fall into the gap between the train and the platform.

He landed beneath the train and was dragged for a short distance before the alarm was raised.

The man was taken by ambulance to Monklands Hospital in Airdrie, where he is being treated for back and leg injuries which are said not to be life-threatening.

British Transport Police (BTP) appealed for information about the incident, which happened at about 11:45pm on Saturday.

Detective Sergeant Kevin McCormack, the officer leading the inquiry, said: “This sort of incident is rare on the rail network.

“However, I am anxious to trace people who witnessed the altercation on the station platform, and anyone who can identify the man involved should contact BTP as a matter of urgency.”

The suspect is known to have boarded the train at Edinburgh Waverley and was described as wearing a “beanie” hat.