A 44-year-old Kamloops man is dead after passing out on train tracks in the downtown Monday morning after drinking heavily.

At around 11:30 a.m., the man was lying on the tracks near Lorne Street when a westbound CP train hit him.

Paramedics attended, administered CPR and took the victim to hospital where he died from his injuries.

The victim was with his wife at the time and both were very intoxicated, said RCMP Sgt. Fran Bethell.

"She wasn't injured or hit in any way," said Bethell.

The man's name is being withheld until family is informed. Police say the couple was not homeless.

Victim services volunteers were called to support the wife who was too distraught and too drunk to provide a coherent witness account, said Bethell.

"We'll be doing some further followup with her tomorrow and learning exactly what she did witness when she's less distraught and more sober."

Train staff members were also shocked and distraught, said police.

B.C. Coroners Service is continuing with the investigation.