A railway worker was killed when he was hit by a slow-moving train just outside Leeds City Station, an inquest heard.
Ernest Rodgerson, 60, was working as a lookout on the morning of December 2, 2009, when he somehow ended up in the path of the electric train.
Leeds Coroner’s Court heard that Mr Rodgerson, who worked for Network Rail, was a single man who had worked on the railways for around 35 years before tragedy struck.
On the day of the incident, Mr Rodgerson was to keep an eye out for any approaching trains and warn workers at the busy Whitehall West junction.
It was as he carried out his job that a train with no passengers, being driven by a trainee driver accompanied by a supervisor, collided with him.
The driver told attending police that he had seen a few rail workers on the line and sounded his horn and then he saw a man standing as a lookout.
He told police that he sounded his horn again and then he lost sight of him and felt a bump on the front of the train and applied the emergency brake.
Mr Rodgerson, who enjoyed playing darts and dominoes and was a keen Leeds United fan, sustained chest, spine, abdominal and head injuries.
Giving evidence yesterday, Andrew Brodniewski, inspector with the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), said the train was travelling between 24 and 25mph.
He added that just before the incident Mr Rodgerson, of Sissons Road, Middleton, Leeds, would have had his back to the direction of the approaching train.
Mr Brodniewski told the inquest: “He [Mr Rodgerson] was possibly unaware that he had moved into the path of the train and possibly unaware the train was coming towards him.”
Mr Brodniewski told the court that as a lookout, Mr Rodgerson would have stood around 4ft from the tracks.
It was from this position he was keeping an eye on the Shipley and Doncaster lines, for trains coming into the station.
The Northern Rail train that struck him was coming out of the station, the inquest heard.
Investigation after the incident showed that Mr Rodgerson had nothing obstructing his vision or hearing and was wearing the correct safety gear, including high-visibility clothing and a hard hat.
Toxicology tests after his death showed no trace of drugs or alcohol in his system.
The inquest continues.