AN Aiskew man who survived the Selby rail disaster had originally planned to drive to London on Toc H business.

When he saw the heavy snow early on Wednesday morning, however, 42-year-old Mr John Dunwell thought it would be safer to catch the 5.59 GNER electric express from York.

He said: "How I came to be on the train was as much of a freak in itself as the accident. It was a late change of travel plan. I can't remember when I was last on a train."

Mr Dunwell, a full-time Toc H worker from Otterbeck Way, Aiskew, was about 20 minutes into his journey when the disaster occurred, but escaped with a badly bruised right leg and a stiff neck.

He recalled looking through smashed windows and seeing seriously injured people in more badly damaged coaches but realising there was little he could do to help.

Mr Dunwell, married with two daughters aged 11 and nine, was travelling in the third coach from the rear of the train with about ten other passengers. At home 12 hours after the crash, he said he was "still a bit shaky."

Mr Dunwell said: "The first indication that all was not well was when the train suddenly began to brake quite hard, which you would not normally expect.

"The ride got bumpy and the sensation was like having stones on the track. I suspect we had jumped the track at that point and were running alongside the rails.

"The carriage I was on slithered down the embankment but stayed upright and at the same time the lights went out. It was just beginning to get light. We were groping around in the dark."

Mr Dunwell and his fellow travellers then decided to get out of the coach, helping the less agile to negotiate a 4ft climb to the ground.

He said: ""We could then see the scale of the carnage. It looked as if only the back three or four carriages were intact. We were very lucky in our carriage.''

l Rescuers praised: page