Rail line to re-open following train crash
Services are set to resume on the Cambrian line on Monday (28th October), a week after a man died in a collision
Last updated 25th Oct 2024
A rail line is to re-open on Monday (28th October), one week on from a train crash, in which a man died and 15 people were injured.
Engineers have been working to separate two Transport for Wales trains, which collided on the Cambrian Line near Llanbrynmair, Powys.
Network Rail says the trains are in the process of being removed, then test services will run through the area, in time for passenger operations to resume on Monday.
Safety systems will continue to be regularly checked on trains which use the line, officials added.
The man who died has today been named as Tudor Evans, aged 66.
"Etched in my memory"
Nick Millington, Network Rail’s Wales & Borders route director said: “Monday night’s tragic events will forever be etched in my memory and my thoughts remain with all those affected. Thankfully, incidents like this are extremely rare on the railway network. We continue to operate one of the safest railway networks in Europe.
“Our engineers have been on site throughout and have conducted very thorough safety checks and we will run test trains through the area.
“I am grateful to the local community who have been very accommodating throughout this last week while we have been managing this incident.
“I would also like to thank passengers for their patience, understanding and support during the last few days as our teams have worked tirelessly to restore the railway as quickly as they could.”
Safety checks and tests
Jan Chaudhry van der Velde, chief operating officer for Transport for Wales, said: “The railways in Wales have a very good safety record, so when serious incidents like this happen, we at TfW, together with our partners at Network Rail, are determined to get to the bottom of what caused it. For that reason, we are co-operating fully with the authorities investigating the collision, and in particular, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
“We have worked hard to clear the trains safely from the accident site, and to carry out full safety checks and tests before reopening the line for passenger trains.
“Our condolences go to the family of the passenger who passed away, and we hope that those passengers and staff members injured in the collision make a speedy recovery.”