A computer technician from Sunnyvale is facing a bill of hundreds of thousands of dollars after his GPS system caused him to collide with a train.

Bo Bai claimed that he was driving a rental car in Bedford Hills, New York when his GPS system directed him to drive down a railway track.

The car became stuck almost immediately and Bai abandoned the vehicle shortly before it was hit by a commuter train travelling at 60mph.

"As the car is driving over the tracks, the GPS system tells him to turn right, and he turns right onto the railroad tracks," Dan Brucker, spokesman for train company Metro-North told the Lower Hudson Online.

"He tried to stop the train by waving his arms, which apparently was not totally effective in slowing the train."

The train, which was carrying 500 commuters, pushed the car over 200ft causing extensive damage to the line.

Some 10,000 travellers were delayed and Bai now faces a charge of obstructing a railroad crossing and a possible bill of hundreds of thousands of dollars for repairs and loss of earnings.