A TEENAGER killed by a high-speed train on the East Coast Main Line did not intend to take her own life, her father said last night.

The family of 17-year-old Catherine Joanne Hodgson described her as the "life and soul of wherever she was", and said she had been talking about her long-term career plans to join the armed forces, only hours before her death.

Catherine, a college student from Ruskin Road, Darlington, was killed near a railway bridge just south of the town's Bank Top station, on Thursday night.

Although British Transport Police said initially they thought the teenager may have taken her own life, her father thinks she was the victim of a tragic accident.

Only hours prior to the incident, she had been speaking happily with him and showed no signs of being upset.

She suffered head injuries in the accident which Mr Hodgson believes were not consistent with somebody who wanted to take their own life.

Although she had been emotional following an argument, her family said Catherine loved life too much to seriously consider killing herself.

Yesterday, at the home of her parents, John and Deborah, her family described Catherine as a loving, happy girl who looked after her sisters Laura, 18, Siobhan, 16, and Rachel, 13.

Mr Hodgson said: "She was a real loving daughter.

"I'd only just spoken to her that tea-time.

"She rang me and said she had the idea of going into the armed forces and asked me if I would come along to the careers office with her.

"I said of course I would. Everything was fine on the phone.

"I don't think she went there with the intention of taking her life.

"I think it was just a tragic accident."

The former Carmel Technology College pupil had been studying health and community studies at Darlington College.

Her father believes she would have thrived in the forces.

Mr Hodgson said: "She was only 17, and hadn't really made up her mind what she wanted to do.

"She was quite a strong character, which you have to be when you're growing up with three sisters.

"So I think she'd have done really well in that kind of environment.

"Her and her sisters always used to argue, but she always used to look out for them."

Catherine had also sent her father a text message on Thursday morning asking how he was doing and using the pet name "Cockle" he always called her.

Mr Hodgson added: "She was always smiling and just so full of life, and loved life - which makes this so tragic."

Her elder sister, Laura, said: "She was always the one telling everyone what to do.

"She was always laughing and joking. She had a really loud laugh, which you could hear for miles and you couldn't help joining in with it.

"She was always borrowing everybody else's clothes but we were never allowed to touch hers.

"But she always stuck up for you. We were a really close family.

"She loved going out and meeting people and she was always the life and soul of wherever she was."

Mr Hodgson said the community has been extremely helpful.

People packed a service in memory of Catherine, held on Friday at St Columba's Church, in Clifton Avenue.

He said: "The phone's never stopped ringing. She was such a popular girl."

Network Rail and British Transport Police are conducting an investigation into the incident. An inquest is expected to be opened today.