A man and a women seen “tussling” on railway tracks moments before they were struck by a train this morning are believed to have been a couple involved in an argument, police said.

The pair died instantly when they were hit at 80mph by the King’s Lynn to Tottenham Hale express train at around 8am near Harlow Mill station in Essex.

The man may have been trying to rescue the woman from the tracks, police said, announcing an investigation into the incident.

Detective Chief Inspector David Shipperlee, of the British Transport Police, said: “Raised voices were heard. It would appear from CCTV evidence that the couple were on the tracks and they were both pulling at each other.

“They were standing in the southbound lane and they were seen on the CCTV to be tussling. It’s not clear at this stage who was pulling whom and for what reason.

“It may be the male was trying to pull the female away, as was suggested by one witness.”

The driver of the National Express East Anglia train was approaching the station, where it was not due to stop, when he spotted the pair. He sounded his horn and applied the emergency brake but was unable to avoid them.

"The train was travelling at approximately 80mph and sadly hit two people who were standing in the centre of the south-bound tracks," Mr Shipperlee said.

The victims were pronounced dead at the scene and taken away in a private ambulance at about 3pm. This afternoon two blue plastic tarpaulins remained visible on the tracks, about 50 yards apart

The couple have yet to be formally identified, though the man is believed to be in his mid-thirties. Mr Shipperlee confirmed relatives of the dead woman had visited the scene.

A middle-aged woman was seen sobbing as she was driven away in a Range Rover with a middle-aged man, woman and a young child.

Mr Shipperlee said both the victims were thought to be local.

He added: “We think they are boyfriend and girlfriend.”

Police said there were about 300 people on board the train, a 6.18am service from King’s Lynn, Norfolk, to London Liverpool Street, and about 12 people standing on the platform at the time of the incident.

No other people are thought to have been involved in the incident.

There have been three apparent suicides on the track so far this year, Mr Shipperlee said.

Bradley Pressman, 53, who runs a car dealership next to the station, said: "This is about the fourth incident this year and that’s within the last six weeks.

"Apparently the man and woman were seen arguing on the platform prior to the train arriving. The police were here very quickly. There were people who were on the platform who would have seen what happened."

Train services between Cambridge, Stansted Airport and London Liverpool Street station via Harlow Mill have suffered significant disruption since the incident, with services altered, cancelled and delayed.

Buses are being used between Broxbourne, Harlow Town and Bishops Stortford. It is expected the disruption will last for the rest of the day, National Express said on its website.

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