 As the Inquiry report noted ""The evidence as to what then happened at the Holme station was unsatisfactorily given, and is not clear""

The Holme station master told the enquiry that he then sent for the platelayers; whilst waiting for them he checked the up line home signal and saw it to be at 'danger'.However, when a down express went through he noticed that one of the signals did not go to 'danger' after it had passed.This appeared considerably at variance with other testimony.