A West Newton woman who regularly crossed train tracks in walking trips from her home to town and back again was killed yesterday when she was struck by a handrail on the train engine.

The victim, Catherine Louise Keck, 66, was struck by the CSX Corp. train about 10:10 a.m. near her home at 152 N. Water St., said Westmoreland County Deputy Coroner Gerry Fritz. He pronounced her dead at the scene at 11:15 a.m.

Ms. Keck had gone to town earlier in the morning for rehabilitation for a neck injury, Mr. Fritz said.

An engineer on the westbound train from Cumberland, Md., to New Castle told Mr. Fritz he saw Ms. Keck cross the tracks from town. Once across the tracks, she turned left and began walking west toward her house with her back to the train, which Mr. Fritz said was observing the 35 mph speed limit in that area.

A few seconds later, near her home, a handrail protruding from the engine struck Ms. Keck in the back of her head.