Five people were injured when the truck carrying Hanson concrete crashed through the parapet of a road bridge in Surrey and plunged onto the roof of a passing passenger train below.

A mobile crane is due on site to remove the mixer as officials from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch begin their probe.

It has emerged that checks were ordered on the bridge as part of nationwide tests after a Land Rover came off the road and on to the East Coast Main Line in Selby, in 2001.

A Network Rail spokesman confirmed the assessment after the Selby disaster found the Surrey bridge to be “well protected and not in need of any strengthening”.

Four of those hurt on Friday were travellers on the South West Trains service from Guildford to Waterloo. The vehicle driver is recovering in hospital but his injuries are not life-threatening.

The accident occurred as the train passed through Oxshott at around 3.30pm. A statement from Network Rail said: “The 15.05 Guildford to London Waterloo was halted when a concrete mixer lorry came off an overbridge.

“The vehicle landed on some of the train’s coaches of an eight-coach unit. So far, there are no reports of fatalities though it is believed there are several people injured.”

British Transport Police were called. “Police were called to the line near to Oxshott rail station after a report that a concrete mixer had come off of a road bridge and landed on carriages of a passing passenger service,” a spokesman said.

Nearby roads were closed as ambulances and fire engines raced to the scene. As many as 40 passengers were on the train at the time.

Aerial photographs of the scene showed the Premix concrete mixer lying on its side on the track below the damaged bridge. The train was moved up the rail line to clear the area.