A regional train caught a group of migrants in Calais, northern France, killing one person and injuring three others.
In total, around 50 migrants were on the tracks on Thursday evening, reported the broadcaster France bleu.
According to France bleu, a dead and two hypothermic refugees were found next to a small boat on a beach south of Calais on Thursday.
The day before, one migrant had died and another was missing in further boat accidents.
According to the prefecture, the dead man is around 30 years old.
The public prosecutor's office is investigating negligent homicide.
Several boats overturned because they were overloaded, it said.
The migrants often use unseaworthy boats and pay tugs high prices for the passage to England.
Many want to go there because they speak the language and already have friends or relatives there.
According to the French authorities, more than 400 people have been rescued from distress in the English Channel between France and Great Britain since Tuesday evening.
Ships from the French Navy, the coast guard, customs and two helicopters were involved in the relief operations.
Train driver in shock
The regional transport officer Franck Dhersin spoke on Twitter of a "dramatic balance" in the collision of the regional train from Dunkerque with the group.
As the broadcaster reported, the shocked train driver was looked after by the fire brigade.
The train operator SNCF informed about a personal accident on Thursday evening, because of which traffic in both directions was interrupted.
Traffic could only be resumed on Friday morning.
The number of refugees who dare to cross the English Channel to Great Britain has increased significantly in recent years.
One reason for this is the increased monitoring of routes via ferry or tunnel.
The crossing is risky due to the heavy shipping traffic, treacherous currents and cold water.
3,500 migrants were in distress
According to the prefecture, around 15,400 migrants tried to cross the English Channel between January and the end of August.
About 3500 of them were rescued from distress and brought back to France.
In the entire previous year there were 9,500, in 2018 it was around 600.
The British government, which introduced a new, rigid immigration system after Brexit, is a thorn in the side of illegally arriving migrants.
London and Paris recently agreed to step up controls on the coasts.
oka / AFP / dpa