'Sub-standard' bulbs on crossing criticised in Ulverston man's inquest

Jonathon Crabtree, 41, of Alexander Road, was killed on November 3 last year when his cat was hit by the 09.37 Carlisle to Lancaster train on Wraysholme level crossing, Flookburgh.

A jury of 11 returned a verdict of accidental death.

Mr Crabtree died instantaneously of multiple injuries.

The inquest, which heard evidence from eight witnesses, was told Mr Crabtree had been travelling to the bank in Grange to get money to buy a caravan on the Lakeland Leisure Caravan Park, in Flookburgh, where he worked as a ‘touring warden’.

John Brown, of Barrow, the train driver, who was travelling within the speed limit, said he did not see Mr Crabtree’s car before the crash.

“There was an almighty bang and the train started shaking and my hands came off the controls,” he said. “I was convinced that we had come off the lines because it was shaking so much.”

Ian Smith, coroner for South and East Cumbria, praised Mr Brown as he had run up the track with a red flag to wave down an oncoming train that could have piled into the wreckage of his locomotive.

Andrew Brodniewski, of the independent Railway Accident Investigation Board, said he had looked at the “discernability” of the lights and found the signals were powered by 36 watt filament bulbs that were “substandard”.

He said that they should have been upgraded to 50 watt halogen bulbs or LEDs.

He also discovered that the lights had been misaligned because there was a sharp bend shortly before the crossing.

The day of the accident was a bright and sunny with low sunlight.

Mr Brodniewski said the signals, which were working properly, may have been washed out by the sunlight.

Speaking after the inquest, Mr Crabtree’s mother, Kathleen Marshall, said she hoped Network Rail would introduce barriers on to all level crossings.

“I hope to see that no-one else gets hurt by the lack of barriers,” she said.

“I think that they all should have barriers.”