A memorial ceremony will take place at the site of one of the worst rail crashes this century to commemorate both the victims and survivors of the tragic incident.

The incident took place at a level crossing at Ufton Nervet in Berkshire at 6:12pm on November 6, 2004.

A Great Western high-speed train struck a car which was parked on the level crossing between Theale and Newbury.

The car was owned by a local chef who intended to take his own life and resulted in the tragic death of six other people including the train driver Stan Martin.

More than 70 people were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Survivors and families of the dead have said that the incident has taken years to come to terms with.

A passenger who survived the incident, Jane Hawker told the BBC: "It was like being inside a tumble dryer. I had no idea whether I would live or die.

"With the perspective of 20 years, I can see how much it has influenced my life. I had a lot of counselling, a lot of therapy. I have successfully dealt with it."

As the train was approaching the level crossing, it was travelling at almost 100mph. When the driver attempted to slow down, the rear of the train was still going a full speed and therefore jackknifed in the middle.

As the crash took place, passengers could be seen throwing themselves out of smashed windows of the train.

Passengers Anjanette Rossi and her nine-year-old daughter Louella from Newbury both died.

In an interview, Ellener Bromfield, Anjanette's sister and Louella's aunt recalled: "It changes you. Because your life has changed. I want to tell them about my children's children. I want to know how many children Louella should be having. So I get cross still."

12 years on from the tragic crash in 2016, a bridge replaced the level crossing to prevent fatal incidents happening in the future.

This decision was as a result of four further fatal incidents happening at the same half-barrier crossing.

Although a programme has started to decrease the number of these level crossings, there are still 400 remaining across the UK.

At the inquest, the coroner heard that both the train and the level crossing had been operating correctly, and that no railway staff were at fault.

The type of train involved in the crash, dating from the 1970s, has now largely been withdrawn from service, though a few remain in use.

Both survivors and family members of the deceased will come together at a memorial garden built alongside the site of the crash.