The accident at a train station close to the south-west city of Bordeaux left one man dead and another seriously injured on Thursday evening.
The dead man, a 19-year-old, was killed while crossing the tracks at the Cestas-Gazinet station south-west of the city.
Local newspaper Sud-Ouest named the man as Medhi Nedjar.
The newspaper reported on Friday that he had been at the station with friends when he said he wanted to go to the other platform. Rather than take the underground passage, he decided to cross the tracks.
A regional TER train from Bordeaux waiting at the station meant that Nedjar did not see a fast train approaching from the opposite direction. The train hit him, killing him instantly.
His body was thrown into the air by the force of the impact, hitting another man who was standing on the station platform.
The 41-year-old passenger was seriously injured and was taken to hospital in Bordeaux where he is recovering from his injuries.
Sud-Ouest reported that some of the shocked friends of the dead man became violent after the accident, requiring police to call in reinforcements.
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