Two men killed by London tube train

LONDON, Jan 13 (Reuters) Two men were killed by a train at a rail depot in east London, police said today.

The pair, aged 21 and 23, were hit by a District Line train near Barking tube station on the London Underground network late on Friday.

British Transport Police (BTP) would not comment on reports they were part of a gang caught spraying graffiti in a depot.

The BBC said the pair were hit after running away from security guards.

A BTP spokesman said a 19-year-old had been arrested in connection with the incident. No more details were released.

Transport for London, which runs the system, said an investigation was under way.

Part of the District Line was closed in both directions at about 2300 hrs.

Forty passengers had to walk along the tracks to Upney station after their westbound train was stranded when the electricity to the rails was switched off.

The line reopened on Saturday morning, although there were delays.

Late last month, BTP announced a crackdown on graffiti vandals across Britain's rail network. TFL has said it costs 20 million pounds a year to clean up the graffiti in London alone.

REUTERS SSC RK1717