Philip Chadwick, 66, of Sackville Street, Todmorden, died after being struck by the 10.37pm Leeds to Manchester Northern Rail service on March 27.

The hearing at Halifax Town Hall heard the incident occurred late at night at the Dobroyd foot crossing, just outside Todmorden railway station.

Mr Chadwick's son Graham told the court his father was a colourful character, "a bit of a jack the lad who worked hard and played hard".

He said his father had begun visiting Cyprus and had "met a woman from the Philippines". He added: "He became attached to this woman. It was his intention to try and look after her."

Despite getting married, however, she encountered major problems in obtaining the necessary paperwork for her to live in the UK.

Mr Chadwick said his father had also been upset by the recent death of his mother and following the cremation he said he was going to hang himself because he was suffering from depression.

"I took him straight to hospital in Burnley where he was admitted before being transferred to Calderdale Royal Hospital until March 21 when he was discharged."

He said the last time he saw his father alive was on the night of his death when he saw him briefly in the street. He added: "I was later informed that he had killed himself on the railway line. This didn't really surprise me."

In a statement read out by West Yorkshire assistant deputy coroner Paul Marks, Philippines national Rosemarie Negros, 25, said she first met Mr Chadwick in Paphos, Cyprus, in 2007.

She said: "We fell in love with each other and exchanged telephone numbers. Not long afterwards "he proposed marriage and I accepted."

She added that the problems with the immigration authorities in the UK were "causing him some concern".

Officials were very strict about the application and would only authorise a visiting visa. He was suffering from insecurity and depression, she said. "We would often telephone each other twice a day - he would phone me more times than I did him."

Train driver Edward Davies told the inquest that he set off on March 27 from Todmorden railway station at 11.35pm en route to Manchester.

He said: "I got to 30mph and the headlights seemed to pick out a face. I hit the emergency brake and the train came to a standstill."

Forensic pathologist Prof Christopher Milroy said the cause of death was head, neck and chest injuries.

Mr Marks recorded a verdict that Mr Chadwick killed himself. He told members of his family: "Damage to his brain was so severe that death would have been instantaneous and he would have experienced no pain whatsoever."

He added that for the majority of his life he had suffered no mental health problems but had suffered "profound depression in the last few months".

He added: "There was no possibility of the train driver avoiding the collision. The train driver is exonerated."