Bedford train crash driver's cause of death revealed after horror collision that injured 160 people

The train driver killed in last month's Bedford rail crash died from "traumatic injuries to the brainstem and chest, pending further investigation", a pathologist has revealed.

The HM Coroner's Office Report revealed the 60-year-old Shaun Burton's cause of death this morning.

The driver was the sole casualty, sparking tributes from authorities and residents.

The collision involved two East Midlands Railway trains, with one striking the rear of the other on the same line near Elstow, Bedford.

Mr Burton died when the train he was driving hit the back of a stationary train.

The train was travelling at 76mph when its brakes were applied nine seconds before impact, preliminary analysis of a data recorder has shown.

At the point of contact with the other train, its speed had reduced to 49mph.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) released an interim report stating that Mr Burton's train passed a red signal near the scene of the crash.

However, it added that "it is not yet possible to say what indication the driver received" from automatic warning system (AWS) equipment in the train.

CCTV footage from a forward-facing camera on Mr Burton's train shows a signal near the crash site displaying red as the train approached and passed it, the RAIB said.

AWS systems trigger a bell or chime when a train approaches a green signal.

A horn sounds when a red signal is approached, and drivers must acknowledge the warning by pressing a button.

If the warning is not acknowledged quickly enough, the train's emergency brake is automatically applied.

Investigators said the stationary train involved in the collision had stopped "unexpectedly".

In a tribute issued by the British Transport Police (BTP), his family said: "We are devastated by his loss.

"Our thoughts are also with those affected by this incident."

BTP said the family have asked "for their privacy to be respected as they begin to come to terms with this devastating loss".

"Our thoughts continue to be with them and his colleagues at East Midlands Railway," a BTP spokesman said.