Train crash Wales: Man dies, 15 in hospital, after collision

A man has died following a low-speed collision involving two trains in Wales, British Transport Police (BTP) has confirmed.

A further 15 people have been taken to hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing, the force said.

The man who died was a passenger on the train travelling from Shewsbury, Transport for Wales’ (TfW) Chief Operating Officer told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.

All other passengers were moved away from both trains, one of which was travelling from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and the other from Machynlleth to Shrewsbury.

The crash happened near the village of Llanbrynmair, in Powys, at about 19:30 BST on Monday.

The Welsh Ambulance Service said it took seven patients to hospital by ambulance, while Dyfed Powys Police said a total of 15 people were taken to hospital with injuries.

Anthony Hurford, a passenger on the Aberystwyth-bound train, said he felt “pretty shellshocked” by the incident.

“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,” he told BBC Breakfast.

“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,” he said.

“He [the driver of the other train] tried to stop at the lights. At the top of the hill there’s a signal that I guess would have been a passing place and for whatever reason the train wouldn’t stop.

“There must have 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,” he added.

Ifan Edwards, a witness who lives near the scene of the crash, said he saw a number of ambulances passing, an air ambulance and two coastguard helicopters.

He said it appeared that one of the trains had failed to stop in the normal place on a hill “and from what we can gather he just slid and he couldn’t stop the train”.

TfW’s Chief Operating Officer Jan Chaudhry van der Velde said he could not discuss the causes of the accident but said Tf’W’s rail accident investigation branch arrived at the scene last night and remained there.

A full report would take several months to be processed, he said.

“The line is largely made up of stretches of single line where trains use one line to travel in two directions and where trains need to pass each other, we have passing loops,” he said.

“Where the collision happened there is one of these passing loops,” he added.

Steve Witherden, MP for Montgomeryshire, described the accident as “tragic”.

“I think the people involved and their families will want answers as soon as possible but I also think it’s important that we don’t speculate and we let the investigation carry out its work,” he said.

The Cambrian railway east of Machynlleth will be closed while investigations continue, Network Rail and Transport for Wales said, urging passengers not to travel on that part of the network.

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

The services involved were the 18:31 from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and the 19:09 from Machynlleth to Shrewsbury.

Police have closed the road, less than a mile from where the collision took place.

The A470, the main road from north to south Wales, runs adjacent to the line and the emergency services are working from it at a point which is quite close to the site of the collision.

The train, as we understand it, is still upright on the track, according to one of the passengers who came out after the collision.

Traffic Wales said the A470 was closed in both directions between Caersws and Glantwymyn, while Transport for Wales said rail replacement services were in operation.

The incident was attended by the ambulance and fire services, local police, and the coastguard, with support from the rail industry, BTP said in a statement.

Residents reported seeing an air ambulance at the scene.

BTP said the family of the man who died had been informed and was being supported by specialist officers.

It also said local residents would see an increased police presence in the coming days as officers worked to understand the circumstances leading up to the collision.

Writing on X earlier, Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan said: “My thoughts are with all those involved in the rail incident in Powys earlier this evening.

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