Passenger dies and 15 people are injured after two trains collide

A passenger has died following a crash between two trains in Wales.

British Transport Police (BTP) said a further 15 people were taken to hospital following the collision near Llanbrynmair in Powys shortly before 7pm on Monday night.

Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing.

All remaining passengers were evacuated.

The trains, which were both Class 158s operated by Transport for Wales (TfW), were the 6.31pm service from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and the 7.09pm service from Machynlleth to Shrewsbury.

Anthony Hurford, who was a passenger on the Shrewsbury-bound service, said the train stopped “in the blink of an eye” and he was thrown on to the floor.

He told BBC Breakfast: “The word that keeps coming to my head is just ‘brutal’, really. Just going from, I don’t know how fast we were going, maybe 40, 50, 60 miles an hour, to nothing in the blink of an eye.

“Somehow my body bent the leg of a table and ripped it off its bolts attached to the wall. Suddenly I was on the floor with my laptop strewn ahead of me wondering what the hell had happened.

“We tried to stop at the lights. At the top of the hill there’s a signal that I guess would’ve been a passing place and for whatever reason the train wouldn’t stop.

“There must’ve been 30/40 people from fire (service), there was British Transport Police who had come from Birmingham, there were three helicopters, people had come from north and south Wales as far as I’m aware. I was checked by three or four different medics.”

Network Rail and TfW said in a joint statement it was a “low-speed collision”.

Both trains remained on the tracks.

The crash happened on the Cambrian line in a rural location with a single track, close to a passing loop where trains travelling in opposite directions can pass each other.

Earlier on Monday TfW advised passengers that its services were running at reduced speeds through Dovey Junction station – which is on the same line – because previous trains reported the track was “extremely slippery”.

The operator suspended all services on the separate Heart of Wales line on Tuesday “until further notice” due to “poor rail conditions”.

Leaves cause major disruption every autumn when they stick to damp rails and become compressed by train wheels.

This creates a smooth, slippery layer similar to black ice on roads, reducing trains’ grip.

Speed restrictions are often imposed in an attempt to reduce accidents such as the crash between two trains outside a tunnel near Salisbury, Wiltshire, in October 2021 which left 13 passengers and one driver requiring hospital treatment.

A South Western Railway (SWR) train slipped on crushed leaves, causing it to slide past a stop signal and smash into the side of a Great Western Railway service.

The SWR train was a Class 159, which is in the same family as the 158s.

BTP Superintendent Andrew Morgan said: “We can sadly confirm a man has died following (the) incident.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to his loved ones, alongside everyone else impacted and specialist officers continue to provide support.”

The dead man’s next of kin have been informed.

Mr Morgan said BTP is working with emergency services and the rail industry “to understand the circumstances leading up to this collision”.

He added: “Residents will see an increased policing presence in the area in the coming days as a result.”

The last incident in which a passenger died following a collision on Britain’s railways was the derailment of a ScotRail train which hit a landslip in heavy rain in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, in August 2020.

A passenger, driver and conductor died, and six other people were injured.

Network Rail and TfW said: “Our first thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the man who has lost his life, as well as all the other people involved in this incident.

“We’re extremely grateful to the emergency services who attended the scene and helped our passengers and staff in challenging circumstances.

“We are working closely with other agencies, including emergency services, to understand how this incident happened and they will have our full support.”

They said the Cambrian line east of Machynlleth will remain closed while specialist teams investigate the collision.

Multiple emergency services, including the Welsh Ambulance Service, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Dyfed-Powys Police and HM Coastguard, have been working alongside railway staff at the scene.

First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan said: “My thoughts are with all those involved in the rail incident in Powys (on Monday).

“I would like to thank the emergency services for their response and have asked to be kept informed of any developments throughout the night.”