A man hit by a train near Greymouth on Saturday has died.
Police said he was hit by the train, which was being pulled by a steam locomotive, at about 4.45pm at Arnold Valley Road near Greymouth.
He was among bystanders watching the locomotive which was en route from Christchurch to the West Coast.
Police said it was believed he was taking photos when the incident occurred. He was taken to hospital with head and leg injuries and later died.
Trains were running again at 8.40pm.
The locomotive is owned by the Mainline Steam Heritage Trust. It was making an annual passenger run between Christchurch and Greymouth.
Operations Manager Michael Tolich said it is a tragic reminder that train tracks are for trains, not people.
He understands the man was standing on the track, around the corner, waiting to take a head-on shot of the train, but failed to clear the line before the train clipped him.
Mr Tolich said people on train tracks are an on-going issue for KiwiRail and other operators, and the incident is a warning to the public to stay clear of rail lines.
