MYSTERY surrounds the death of a woman who died after being hit by a train near to her home.

Retired housewife Joan Halliwell died instantly in the incident on the track half a mile from her home in Hartfield Drive, Tyldesley in June.

A Bolton inquest jury heard that Marieek Singh, the driver of the 3.57pm First North Western Manchester Victoria to Southport service, spotted Mrs Halliwell just seconds before the impact. The jury returned an open verdict.

Mr Singh said he had no time to sound his horn. He slammed on the brakes but it was too late to prevent the collision.

The jury heard that mother-of-two Mrs Halliwell had previously suffered from depression and in 1992 had taken an overdose.

Her husband, retired site manager Fred Halliwell, 69, said that his wife received psychiatric treatment at Leigh Hospital and had made a complete recovery.

He said in recent years Mrs Halliwell had suffered from arthritis in her knees and had tripped and fallen on occasions as a result.

He last saw his wife at noon on the day of her death as he went out to visit one of their two sons.

"We had been shopping in the morning and she was preparing that evening's dinner," said Mr Halliwell. "She seemed fine."

When he returned he saw a note on the floor from his wife saying she had gone into Bolton to visit the shops. But later noticed that she had left her handbag and purse containing her money, at home.

The family became increasingly concerned when she failed to return home and contacted the police.

In the early hours of the morning police officers broke the news to the family.

Mr Halliwell added his wife often went for walks on her own but never that far away from home.

Train driver Mr Singh said he saw a figure emerge from the undergrowth close to the track just three seconds before the collision.

"The figure did not look at me but continued to head towards the train," he said. "It did not look she had tripped and fallen."

He added: "It looked to me as if she was deliberately heading towards the train. The person never looked up at the train but she must have heard it coming."

Acting deputy coroner for Greater Manchester John Hibbert told the jury that there were three possible verdicts they should consider, suicide, accidental death or an open verdict if they could not be sure of what had happened.

He added: "The only person who could have told us what really happened was the deceased."