A man has died and 15 people have been taken to hospital after two Transport for Wales passenger trains collided on the Cambrian Line on Monday evening.
The 1831 Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and 1909 Machynlleth to Shrewsbury services - both made up of single 158 units - were involved in a "low-speed" collision at Talerddig shortly before 1930 on Monday.
Multiple emergency services attended the scene including British Transport Police the Welsh Ambulance Service, Mid and West Wales Fire Service, Dyfed-Powys Police, and the HM Coastguard, as well as teams from Network Rail and the wider rail industry.
BTP confirmed the two trains were involved in a "low-speed collision", with officers called to the scene at 1929.
A spokesman said: "Sadly, we can confirm a man has died following the collision. His next of kin have been informed and his family are being supported by specialist officers.
"A further 15 people have been taken to hospital with injuries not believed to be life threatening or life changing.
"All other passengers have now been evacuated from both trains."
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.”
“British Transport Police are working at pace, along with our colleagues in emergency services and the rail industry, to understand the circumstances leading up to this collision. Residents will see an increased policing presence in the area in the coming days as a result.”
A spokesman for both Network Rail and Transport for Wales confirmed the services involved in the collision, adding that one passenger had died and those injured were being treated at nearby hospitals.
The spokesman added: "Our first thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the man who has lost his life, as well as the other people involved in this incident.
"The Cambrian railway east of Machynlleth will be closed while specialist teams continue their investigations, and we urge passengers not to travel to this 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.
"We are working closely with other agencies, including emergency services, to understand how this incident happened and they have our full support."
Martin Frobisher, Network Rail’s director of safety and engineering, said: “We are deeply saddened by the train crash that occurred in Wales last night. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragic incident, including passengers, train-crew members, and their families. We are working closely with the emergency services and the multi-agency team to fully understand the circumstances of what happened and why.
“Our immediate priority is to help support those impacted and to assist investigators in determining the cause of the crash. Such serious railway accidents are rare, and we are determined to make them rarer still.”
Welst Ambuance Service sent eight ambulances to the scene, with two Cymru High Acuity Response Unit paramedics, one advanced paramedic, two operational managers, one Search and Rescue Service and one Hazardous Area Response Team also deployed.
A spokeswoman said: “Advanced critical care support was delivered by the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service in four Wales Air Ambulance charity helicopters and two cars.”
A spokeswoman for the Rail Accident Investigation Board said: “We have launched an investigation into the collision of two passenger trains at Talerddig yesterday. Last night we deployed a team of inspectors to the accident site. They remain on site today and are working to gather evidence to understand what caused this tragic accident.”
Reacting to the news, Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales said the line east of Machynlleth would remain closed while investigations continue.
He said: "I am extremely grateful to the emergency services who attended the scene and helped our passengers and staff.
"The safety of our passengers and staff is, as always, our key priority. Transport for Wales are working closely with all agencies, including emergency services and Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), to understand how this incident happened and they will have my full support."
Russell George, Welsh Parliament member for Montgomeryshire, added: "My thoughts are with the family of the man that sadly died, and for those that have been injured. Clearly there are many questions about how this accident happened, but for now, it’s important the investigators are allowed to do their work."
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