There were two train collisions on the weekend in Nova Scotia, one of which took a man's life near Lantz.

Bruce Preeper, 45, was pronounced dead at the scene after a car collided with a 15-car Via Rail passenger train Saturday, at a crossing on Highway 277 near the man's home. He was the only occupant of the vehicle.

"Officials with Via Rail say it appears at this point the car simply entered the crossing and the train … didn't have time to stop," said RCMP Sgt. Mark Gallagher. "After the collision, the train dragged the car about 150 metres."

Malcolm Andrews, spokesman for Via Rail, said no one on board the 15-car train en route to Halifax from Montreal was injured.

The track and signal lighting system where the accident occurred is owned by CN. Gallagher said there was no gate at the crossing but the signal lights were working.

"There doesn't seem to be any problem so we'll have to examine all parts of the collision including the autopsy as well as the working condition of the vehicle," he said.

Police have not released the victim's name.

Walking along track

A 52-year-old woman is recovering from surgery at St. Martha's Regional Hospital following another train accident Saturday afternoon.

The woman was walking along a train track in Heatherton near Antigonish when she was hit by a Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway train.

She had her back to the train when she was struck, Gallagher said, adding the crew on the train sounded the horn but attempts to alert the woman failed.