Investigators have found signs at a crossing where a train collided with a van were not “clear”.

A high-speed Javelin train to St Pancras struck a delivery vehicle while travelling at 85 mph on the tracks near Frognal Farm, off Lower Road, Teynham, at about 3pm on October 23.

The train did not derail and none of the 80 passengers and crew on board were hurt, but the van driver, a man in his 30s who works for delivery company DPD, was taken to Medway Maritime Hospital with head injuries and a broken collarbone.

The train’s front nose cone was badly damaged and the front of the van’s bonnet was torn off.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), an independent body, launched an investigation and it released some of its findings today.

It stated in March, Network Rail installed power operated gate opening (POGO) equipment at the crossing where motorists telephone a signaller to confirm it is safe to cross and then press a button to lift barriers without having to cross the line on foot.

Previously, users had to open the gates themselves and since the accident, it has reverted to this hand operated arrangement as the POGO equipment was badly damaged.

According to the report: “On this occasion there is no evidence that the driver of the delivery van made a telephone call to the signaller. However, the signage provided at the crossing was not, in the RAIB’s view, clear.”

The RAIB issued urgent safety advice to Network Rail to review the design and wording of the signs at crossings with POGO equipment, ensure instructions are clear and alert users to the nature and severity of the risks.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “Network Rail in the South East has two remaining crossings of the type focussed on by the RAIB, which feature power-operated gates.

"Both of these crossings have red and green warning lights for users and have also recently both been ergonomically assessed.

“The crossing at Frognal has now reverted to its previous operation, with a simple gate. The requirement to call the signaller before crossing has not changed.”