The widow of a Mid Sussex man killed in the Hatfield rail crash has filed a £1.62 million writ against Railtrack.

Lesley Arthur is one of four women whose husbands died in the crash suing Railtrack (now Network Rail) for more than £5 million in damages.

Pilot Steve Arthur, 46, of Brighton Road, Pease Pottage, near Crawley, was killed when the GNER London-to-Leeds express came off the track in October 2001.

Four died and 104 were injured in the crash which led to a major upgrading of railway lines across Britain.

His widow, Lesley, 35, and their children, Holly, nine, and Nicholas, six, have had some financial help but received no compensation.

Mr Arthur, who ran the Atlantic Gulf Aviation company, had taken the train to Leeds to pick up passengers and pilot them to Jersey in a private jet.

Managers from Railtrack and maintenance firm Balfour Beatty have already appeared in court accused of manslaughter and negligence.

The trial is set to be the most significant of its kind in years and could have major implications for how companies deal with safety.

John Pickering, head of personal injury at the law firm Irwin Mitchell, which represents the families, said: "If the prosecution is successful it will send shockwaves through the corporate world because there will be a dramatic realisation that directors can be personally held accountable."