Mother, 46, made name from tracks moments earlier than being hit by prepare

A mother made one final call as she walked along railway tracks before she was hit by a freight train, an inquest has heard. 

Jill Parton, 46, FaceTimed her partner as she was walking on railway tracks near a station in Greater Manchster, before they frantically phoned police. 

The mother, who was also a former pub land lady, had been near Heaton Chapel station in Stockport in the early hours of June 3 when she was struck by a freight train.  

An inquest into Jill’s death was opened yesterday.

Police coroner’s officer Alison Catlow said police became aware of Jill’s death after getting a call from someone described in court as a ‘partner’.

Mother Jill Parton died after being hit by a freight train in Greater Manchester on June 3

The 46-year-old made one final call to her ‘partner’ as she walked on railway tracks, an inquest heard 

Ms Catlow told the court: ‘On June 3 at 3:59am, British Transport Police received a call from Network Rail that a freight service train had struck someone close to Heaton Chapel station.

‘Following a full search of the tracks, a female was located with injuries inconsistent with life.

‘British Transport Police received a call from Greater Manchester Police to advise that they had received a call from the female’s partner, stating that she had FaceTimed him whilst on the railway tracks.’

Ms Catlow added Jill died from ‘extensive traumatic injuries’.

Asked by assistant coroner Christopher Murray if any mental health service had been involved with Jill, she replied: ‘I believe there was sir, yes.’

The mother lived in Heaton Chapel and was well known from her time as landlady of The Crown Inn.

Her daughter, Amber Parton, previously told how she ‘literally had nothing in her brain’ the moment she was told Jill had died. 

Amber said: ‘I just felt numb. I still don’t feel like it’s real. It’s just been me and my mum every day. I just feel like she’s going to walk through the door, like she’s not really gone.

‘Especially the way it happened – she promised she would never leave me. She told me a few weeks ago she was struggling and didn’t want to be here but she wouldn’t leave me. She was my best friend and we used to do everything together.’

Amber, 25, described her ‘bubbly’ mum as a ‘lovely woman who would do anything for anyone’ – recalling how she was a keen animal lover who also allowed more than 50 homeless people to stay at her home over the course of her life.

Amber added: ‘I’d rather go out with my mum than my friends.. Anyone I’d speak to would say it wasn’t a normal mother-daughter relationship.

‘We used to tell each other everything. Everyone was jealous of our friendship. She never judged me.’

Maxine Campbell, Jill’s friend of more than 30 years, launched a petition to make small railway stations more secure in an attempt to prevent deaths.

She described the 46-year-old as being ‘like a sister’ to her and the ‘life of the party’.

Ms Campbell said: ‘When she first passed away, I was really upset, but then I would think of her laughing and just being silly. I would start laughing and get mad at myself, because I was trying to be sad.

‘She was kind and generous – everyone classed her as a best friend.’

A full inquest is due to take place at the same court on November 11.

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