Network Rail found guilty of causing fatal train crash that killed mother after refusing to spend £40,000 on safety device Jane Harding, 52, was killed when train smashed into her car Her husband, who was driving, escaped the crash unharmed Signalman Adrian Maund had been taking a call from a farmer Court told a £40,000 safety device might have prevented the tragedy Network Rail was today found guilty of causing a fatal train crash at a level crossing after a signalman wrongly lifted the barrier - because he was distracted by a phone call. Jane Harding, 52, was killed when her car was struck by the passenger train at 61mph and dragged 150 yards down the track near Moreton-on-Lugg, Herefordshire. Her husband Mark, who was driving the black Volkswagen Touareg, suffered shoulder and pelvic injuries but survived the crash on January 16, 2010. Network Rail was today found guilty of failing in its duty of care by not installing an approach locking system which could have prevented the tragedy. Signalman Adrian Maund was also found guilty of failing to take reasonable care for the health and safety of other people likely to be affected by his actions or omissions at work. Tragedy: Jane Harding was hit while crossing the track by car after Adrian Maund lifted the barriers too early Birmingham Crown Court heard how Maund had been distracted from his duties after he received a phone call from a farmer who asked permission to herd his flock of sheep across the tracks. It was then the 43-year-old wrongly lifted the barriers because he thought the Manchester to Milford Haven train had already passed the crossing. Maund only realised his fatal mistake when he saw the train approaching at 80mph around the corner - when he frantically tried to lower the barriers and change the signal. The court heard that while human error was to blame for the crash, Network Rail bosses refused to spend £40,000 on a simple safety device that would have prevented the crash but were too concerned about the cost. The company was today found guilty of failing in its duty of care of the health and safety of railway and railway crossing users by not installing an approach locking system. Signalman Adrian Maund was distracted by a call from a farmer asking if he could herd sheep across the tracks at Moreton-on-Lugg Meanwhile, Maund was also found guilty of failing to take reasonable care for the health and safety of other people likely to be affected by his actions or omissions at work. During a three week trial, the jury were told Network Rail refused to install the safety system because it was too expensive. Prosecutor Phillip Mott QC said: 'Network Rail took the decision not to install this device because it would cost £40,000 - that device could have saved a life. An approach locking system has been around since the 1960s and can be used to stop signals being changed when trains are still coming through. In 2009 there was quite a lot of work done at the Moreton crossing and the barriers were replaced because the mechanism was getting old. There were discussions to have an approach locking device which were rejected. Smash: The court heard that a £40,000 safety device might have prevented the mother's death Why not put in this approach-locking device? The reason was "money." Was the cost too great to avoid the cost of a human life? The jury heard Maund became distracted when a farmer rang his signal box. Mrs Harding was travelling with her husband Mark when their car was hit by the train on January 16, 2010 In a police interview Maund said he lifted the barriers because he wrongly believed the train had already passed as cars were waiting at the crossing. But tragically, train driver Andrew Robins had too little time to react and struck two cars at 61mph. Mother-of-one Mrs Harding, a hairdresser from Marden, Herefordshire, was killed but her husband survived. Carol-Anne Thornewell and her 12-year-old daughter who were travelling in a separate gold Vauxhall Astra also walked away from the smash. Speaking after the case, Jayne Salt, Head of the West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service's Complex Casework Unit, said: 'Adrian Maund and Network Rail both played very different parts in the tragic death of Jane Harding. Mr Maund made a mistake in raising the level crossing barriers when a train was approaching. Whilst his was a momentary error, his failure to follow procedures and checks, as he had been trained to do, has rightly resulted in his conviction. His employers, on the other hand, made a deliberate decision not to install a safety device which would have detected the oncoming train and kept the barriers down. That decision was based on cost. It is right that an organisation that holds the safety of the public in its hands on a daily basis has been held to account for its decision making. 'My thoughts are with Mrs Harding's family and I hope that this result gives them some small measure of comfort.' Judge Melbourne Inman QC bailed Maund and ordered him to return to court for sentencing on April 10.