A driver had a miraculous escape when her car was ripped in two by a train after stalling on the line.

The Vauxhall was pushed along the rails for 500m and was destroyed under the wheels of the carriages.

Police say the incident happened at just after 8am at Barnes Green, near Billingshurst, when the car is believed to have stalled on the tracks.

It is thought that the woman tried to restart the vehicle as the 6.59am Bognor- to-London Bridge service approached but got out just before the impact.

The crash ripped the car in two, with the front half remaining on the track while the rear disintegrated along the rails.

Firefighters and police were called to the Emms Lane crossing to find the car completely demolished and to find that the woman escaped with only minor cuts and bruises.

Inspector Simon Morley, of Horsham police station, said: "She had a lucky escape. It is believed she skidded on the ice, stalled her car and could not get it started."

He said passengers on the train would be taken by bus to the nearest station and the train would be taken in for safety tests.

A spokesman for South Central trains said services through the Arun Valley would probably be suspended for the rest of the day.

He said: "We don't believe any of the passengers were injured and the driver is fine.

"There won't be any through services on the line but we will run trains from Bognor to Billingshurst and provide a shuttle bus from Billingshurst to Horsham.

"I imagine these delays will last for the rest of the day as police will need to carry out investigations."

Fire, police and emergency services were called to the scene and the woman taken to hospital for a check- up but only received minor injuries.

At 10am, the passengers were still on the train waiting to be taken on to Horsham by coach.