The widow and two children of an executive jet pilot killed in the Hatfield rail crash have been awarded £1 million in damages.

Stephan Arthur, 46, from Pease Pottage, near Crawley, was one of four passengers who died when the Kings Cross to Leeds express was derailed by a broken track in 2000.

Thirty-four people were injured.

Mr Arthur's widow Lyndsey was in court in London yesterday to hear Mr Justice Richards sanction the £1 million payout by Railtrack, which admitted liability.

Part of the compensation will be invested for daughter Holly, ten, and her seven-year-old brother Nicholas and will include provision for their higher education.

Stephen Irwin QC, representing Mrs Arthur, described her husband as "a man of great energy, determination and talent - very resourceful and successful".

The judge, who expressed sympathy for Mrs Arthur and the children, said he was satisfied she had been properly advised to accept the sum offered by Railtrack rather than push for a higher figure in a contested hearing and run the risk of a lesser award.

Mrs Arthur declined to comment but her solicitor John Pickering said: "She is very relieved the case has now concluded and is looking forward to being able to put this behind her and get on with her life with her children."

Mr Arthur was in the buffet car with fellow pilot Robert Alcorn, 37, from New Zealand, advertising executive Peter Monkhouse, 50, from Leeds, and solicitor Leslie Grey, 43, from Nottingham.

They all died when the the 12.10 GNER Intercity 225 train from London to Leeds derailed outside the Hertfordshire town of Hatfield on October 17, 2000.

The train, which was carrying about 200 passengers, was travelling at 115mph when it came to a catastrophic halt at 12.25pm.

Four of the nine carriages were derailed and three more were flung on to their sides a few hundred metres south of Hatfield station.

The roof of the buffet car was ripped off in the derailment.

More than 120 other passengers, who were mainly described as walking wounded, were taken to nearby hospitals or treated at the scene. Some suffered more serious injuries, including fractures and spinal injuries.

The crash was thought to have been caused by a cracked rail.

Speed restrictions were placed on much of the country's network while emergency repairs were carried out on other parts of the track.

In July last year, 12 men, who all either worked for Railtrack or its contractor Balfour Beatty, appeared in court over the crash, charged with failing to ensure health and safety.

Six of the men, who were senior managers, were also charged with corporate manslaughter.

The families of those who died at Hatfield have campaigned for a corporate manslaughter prosecution.

Mrs Arthur's settlement was the last of the four fatal injury claims to be finalised.