Four rail workers and six passengers died in the Selby crash

Mike Smith headed up a team of eight from Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) which looked into the cause of the disaster that claimed the lives of six passengers and four railway staff near the village of Great Heck, near Selby, in February 2001.

Mr Smith told an inquest jury at Harrogate on Thursday that his team looked at all aspects of the crash, with inspectors given particular areas to look at, such as rolling stock, maintenance records and staff competence and training.

The team also put together computer models of how the derailment may have occurred.

Unfortunate combination

Mr Smith told the jury: "There was no evidence that indicated failings in the railway operations."

He told the inquest there was an "unfortunate combination of circumstances" which led to the disaster and a "similar event may not result in derailment".

However, he believed the Land Rover being present on the line as the GNER sped towards London was central to the disaster unfolding.

Selby victims Steve Baldwin, N Yorkshire Steve Dunn, N Yorkshire Alan Ensor, N Yorkshire Barry Needham, N Yorkshire Ray Robson, Tyneside Rob Shakespeare, E Yorkshire Paul Taylor, Tyneside Christopher Terry, N Yorkshire Clive Vidgen, N Yorkshire John Weddle, Tyneside How the crash happened

He added that if the Land Rover had not been there: "In my opinion, that train would have arrived at King's Cross at the designated time."

Following the crash his report made several recommendations with particular regard to train design and safety.

He concluded: "Sad as the event was, there are lessons to be learnt for future safety improvements."

The inquest, being held at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate, was told the crash happened after a Land Rover, being driven by Gary Hart, plunged off the M62 motorway onto the East Coast mainline.

Moments later it was struck by a high-speed GNER express train which derailed and then struck a fully-laden freight train travelling in the opposite direction.

Hart, of Strubby, Lincolnshire, was later convicted of 10 counts of causing death by dangerous driving and sentenced to five years in prison.

The coroner, David Hinchliff, reviewed the evidence before asking the jury to retire to consider its verdicts.

Mr Hinchliff directed the jurors to return verdicts of unlawful killing.

He said the verdicts could not contradict the earlier criminal proceedings, which had convicted Hart of 10 counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

The coroner said he would take the jury's verdicts on Friday and the hearing was adjourned.