A motorist who cheated death when his car was struck by an express train on an unmanned level crossing said today: "I'm the luckiest man alive."

Jeffrey Holt stands next to the unmanned crossing at Church Fenton, where he survived a crash with a train Pictures: Frank Dwyer

Jeffrey Holt, 63, was behind the wheel of his Ford Scorpio as he attempted to cross the Trans-Pennine line at the Rose Lane crossing at Church Fenton, near Tadcaster.

As he approached the high-speed line yesterday afternoon, the front end of his car was hit by the express passenger train, which was travelling at about 80mph.

The Scorpio was a write-off, but Mr Holt climbed out of the wreckage without a scratch.Speaking at his home in Rose Lane, Church Fenton, just 50 yards from the crossing, Mr Holt said: "I thought I was a goner.

"As I approached the line, I stopped and looked, and saw the train was already on top of me. It was about 50 yards away when I first saw it and I had no chance of reversing or doing anything.

"I just sat there and hoped it would miss me. It wasn't until I climbed out of the car that it started to register.

"I suppose you could say I'm the luckiest man alive. In fact, the British Transport Police asked me for my lottery numbers."

Mr Holt said he used the gated crossing every day, and always rang the signalman to check it was safe to cross.

He added: "The gates had already been opened when I started to cross yesterday, and I thought a woman standing nearby was waving me through, but it turned out to be a misunderstanding."

The express train was on its way from Manchester Airport to Middlesbrough, and was on its way to York when the crash happened.

A Northern Spirit spokesman said the train was travelling at 80mph when the driver applied the emergency brakes.

He said the train - which was delayed by 18 minutes - only sustained superficial damage, and carried on to York where passengers transferred to another train.

The train driver was shaken but unhurt and was allowed to go home when the train arrived in York. All the passengers were uninjured.

The incident is being investigated by British Transport Police.

A Railtrack spokeswoman said no permission was sought to use the crossing and none was given. She confirmed the crossing phone was in working order.

Sergeant Graham Batcheler, of British Transport Police in York, said: "It was a very serious incident and the driver is extremely fortunate to escape with his life."

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