Man, 66, killed in horror head-on train crash was heading home from holiday with wife before deadly collision
A MAN killed when two trains crashed was travelling home from a holiday with his wife, a friend has revealed.
Tudor Evans, from Aberystwyth, died in the horror collision near Llanbrynmair, Powys, on Monday evening.
The 66-year-old was coming home from a trip to Italy.
Four other people were seriously injured and another 11 required hospital treatment, the Rail Accident Investigations Branch confirmed.
Mr Evans’ friend, Iestyn Leyshon, said he and his wife had “just begun to travel after years of work and then this tragedy happens”.
Mr Leyshon told the Newyddion S4C app, external he was “extremely saddened” to hear of his death.
He had known Mr Evans for around 20 years but they had grown close over the last four years due to their shared love of mountain biking.
“We’ll never see him on his bike on the Elenydd [an upland area of mid Wales] again,” he added.
Mr Evans is understood to have suffered a fatal heart attack.
The westbound service train left Shrewsbury around 6.30pm before it struck a stationary train coming from Machynlleth, Powys.
Network Rail has said the line will remain closed until tomorrow at the earliest.
Engineers are said to be looking at “immediate lessons” to prevent further such incidents.
The low speed crash happened on a single track railway, with the driver left bleeding from the head.
He had run from his cab to warn the crash was imminent.
LEAVES ON THE TRACK
It is understood the two trains were carrying 41 passengers and one was unable to stop due to suspected leaves on the track preventing it from braking.
Passenger Jonah Evans, 25, previously told The Sun: “There was a train that was stopped and the other train couldn’t stop.
“And the driver couldn’t get out the way with a train in front.
“The driver ran in and sat on a chair and said brace yourselves – we’re about to hit a train.
“Someone lost their teeth, cracked ribs.
“Because the driver told us it was happening, we could kind of get ready.”
A passenger on the Shrewsbury-bound train, Anthony Hurford, described the crash as “brutal”.
He added: “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 have been a passing place and for whatever reason the train wouldn’t stop.
“There must have been 30/40 people from the 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.”
The driver ran in and sat on a chair and said brace yourselves – we’re about to hit a train. Someone lost their teeth, cracked ribs.
Anthony Hurford
The 18.31 Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth service was carrying 37 passengers when it hit the oncoming 19.09 Machynlleth to Shrewsbury train carrying four people at around 7.30pm.
Ambulances and a helicopter scrambled to the scene in Llanbrynmair, Powys, with pictures showing them working at the site.
Workers wearing headlights poured over the crumpled train to inspect the damage.
All services between Aberystwyth and Shrewsbury were suspended after the smash.