County coroner Roger Atkinson recorded a verdict of accidental death at an inquest on Victor Bee (50) and Roy Wilkinson (47).

But he put a number of safety recommendations to Central Networks and Network Rail to ensure that the tragedy is never repeated.

The two Central Networks employees, both from the Boston area, died when a train collided with their Vauxhall van at a works crossing on the Spalding to Sleaford line at Helpringham.

Both men died at the scene of multiple injuries on December 6, 2004.

The two dads had been working on an electricity sub-station beside the track.

When their work was done they drove up a dirt-track, which had a one-in-seven incline, to the railway line crossing point. The train hit their van on the track at 1.30pm.

The jury was shown a police video reconstruction of this and giving evidence, Lincolnshire Police collision investigator PC Gary Chance said that the approach track was difficult to negotiate."

"A clear view down the track was possible from about five metres back. But that required stopping on the slope and effectively performing a hill start before crossing," he said.

"This is difficult and officers found that wheel spin did occur."

PC Chance said that wheel spin was also possible on the crossing itself.

"It is made up of railway sleepers and a ballast section between the two lines.

"Wheel spin occurred going over the crossing when officers tested it," said PC Chance.

Summing up at Sleaford Magistrates' Court yesterday, Mr Atkinson said that the exact sequence of events would never be known.

He said that the men may have taken a run at the slope and not stopped to look for a train as one had passed minutes before they died.

Or they may have seen the train when they were on the track, panicked and accelerated, causing wheel spin and stalling.

Earlier in the inquest the court heard that Network Rail had tried to close the crossing in 2000 due to safety fears.

But this was not possible and recommendations for phones to be fitted were made. These were not installed until after the men's deaths.

It also emerged that Central Networks failed to give any of their engineers specific railway safety advice and failed to carry out a risk assessment for reaching the sub-station.

Mr Atkinson said: "Network Rail did consider putting in phones as early as 2000 and this perhaps could have happened a little quicker.

"As part of my responsibilities I have the power to make recommendations to companies to prevent a tragedy like this ever happening again.

"I will be asking Network Rail to cut back vegetation on the track to improve visibility and to fill the ballast section of the crossing with non-slip sleepers.

"And I will be asking Central Networks to instruct their employees to phone signalmen before crossing tracks at all times."

"Along with this, if there are two people in a vehicle, for the passenger to get out of the car, check if any trains are coming and guide drivers over the tracks."