One man dead, 15 injured after two trains collide in Wales

A man has died following a collision between two trains in Wales, British Transport Police have said.

A further 15 people have been taken to hospital after the collision near Llanbrynmair in Powys, although police said their injuries are not believed to be life threatening or life changing.

All passengers have been evacuated from both trains.

BTP Superintendent Andrew Morgan said: “We can sadly confirm a man has died following this evening’s incident.

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

He said the BTP are working hand in hand 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 low-speed collision involving two trains happened just before 7pm on Monday, police said.

Network Rail and Transport for Wales said the incident involved the Transport for Wales 6.31pm service from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and the Transport for Wales 7.09pm service from Machynlleth to Shrewsbury.

In a joint statement, the two organisations 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 railway 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 Service, Dyfed Powys Police and the HM Coastguard, have been working alongside railway workers at the scene.

First Minister of Wales 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.”

Anthony Hurford, a witness travelling to Shrewsbury, 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.”

According to Network Rail, leaf fall on the tracks every autumn can lead to a slippery layer on the rail “equivalent to black ice on roads”.