A US senator that is campaigning for greater rail safety and accountability was nearly struck by a train during a televised address on Friday.

Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut was talking at Milford Metro-north station when an Amtrak train hooted at him as it came through at high speed, knocking over a chart the senator was using to demonstrate his point just as he said:

“Safety, as you know, is paramount.”

Blumenthal is campaigning for greater accountability from the Metro-North railway after it emerged that it had paid out $552,000 (£329,000) in fines over the last ten years.