Arrest after train hits tractor at 70mph at level crossing

Up to 200 passengers on board the Arriva Trains Wales Birmingham to Aberystwyth service were helped from the train after the collision at the rear of the dairy farm at Buttington Old Hall, near Welshpool.

A 27-year-old man has since been arrested on suspicion of endangering safety. He was released on bail until September 10.

The tractor driver and the train driver were both shaken and in shock, but otherwise uninjured following the crash which happened shortly before noon yesterday.

The line between Shrewsbury and Machynlleth was closed for several hours while the tractor was removed. The train, which had been travelling at about 70mph, was partially derailed but remained upright.

A British Transport Police spokesman said some minor injuries were reported, and two people were taken to Welshpool Hospital for further treatment.

Rail services were replaced by buses while the train was recovered and police carried out their investigation.

Witnesses heard a loud crash before seeing the front cab of the train was damaged and one of its wheels was derailed but all carriages remained upright.

Tom Spalding, 32, who was travelling on the train, was the first to call 999. He said: "There was a huge shunt and a cloud of dust and we all looked at each other. There was a panic and I saw the tractor flying off."

Bob Gittins, landlord of the nearby Green Dragon Inn, said: "I was walking the dog so I didn't see it but I did hear it.

"There are a lot of ambulances and fire engines there.

"We knew it was a train when we heard it and we heard the level crossing start going off.

"We didn't actually realise the severity of the incident when it first happened."

A woman from Buttington Hall Farm, who did not want to be named, said: "The tractor driver's okay, everyone's fine. We're just waiting for everything to move out the way now."

Jonathan Davey, a rail enthusiast from Welshpool, visited the scene. He said: "There are four carriages and three coach loads of passengers left afterwards. It is lucky it is only a couple of miles from Welshpool Station so would have been slowing down."

A man who did not wish to be named, but described himself as a train expert, added: "It is not the first time we have had an incident here and the last one was only a few years ago.

"The crossing has great visibility it is just people still don't realise the very real dangers."

Supt Andy Morgan, of British Transport Police, said: "Our investigation is continuing into the cause of the collision, including piecing together exactly how the vehicle came to be on the tracks at the time.

"As part of that investigation, a 27-year-old man has this afternoon arrested on suspicion of endangering safety. He has been taken to a police station, where he is assisting my officers with their enquiries.

"Measures are now in place to remove the vehicle from the tracks and recover the train.

"Officers from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) are currently on site and have begun their investigation."

Katrina Tzannis, a spokeswoman for Arriva Trains Wales, said the driver was shaken but not injured. She added replacement buses had been brought in for passengers.

Lois Hough, spokeswoman for the Welsh Ambulance Service said four emergency ambulances and two helicopters had been sent to the scene but the helicopters were not needed. She said two patients were treated at the scene and taken to the minor injuries unit in Welshpool.

A spokesman for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: "We evacuated the four carriage diesel train using ladders."