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Rail line stays shut after train hits tractor trailer

Vanessa Pearce
BBC News, West Midlands
SWNS A train which has hit a red trailer. The trailer has been damaged by the train and is crumpled.SWNS
Fifty-six people were on board the train when it crashed on Thursday morning

A rail line is to remain closed after a train hit a tractor and trailer on a level crossing in Herefordshire.

A 32-year-old man was arrested following the crash involving a Transport for Wales (TfW) train near Leominster in Herefordshire, on Thursday morning. He was later released under investigation, police said.

Two people were taken to hospital following the crash suffering minor injuries, said British Transport Police (BTP).

The line between Hereford and Shrewsbury is expected to remain closed throughout Friday.

A train has come to a halt after hitting a tractor and trailer. A field can be seen in the foreground with emergency and other vehicles part in front of the train.
Two people were taken to hospital after the crash

A joint statement from TfW and Network Rail said work was under way to reopen the line and restore services "as quickly as possible".

"Replacement road transport remains in place between Hereford and Shrewsbury and tickets will also be valid for use with other operators via all reasonable alternative routes as well as with Stagecoach bus," the statement said.

A further update is expected at about midday on Friday.

A woman with blonde hair scraped back is wearing glasses. She is wearing a blue top with a red and white collar.
Morgan Shake was among 56 passengers on board the train travelling between Manchester Picadilly and Cardiff

Morgan Shake was among 56 passengers on board the 08:30 train from Manchester Picadilly heading to Cardiff when the crash happened at about 10:40 GMT.

She described hearing a "really loud bang" as the train hit the trailer on land at Nordan Farm.

"The train just stopped moving, there was just debris everywhere," she said.

"Not many people knew what was going on," added fellow passenger Sophie Hughen.

"But thankfully no-one was severely injured at all so that was really good."

A welfare unit is parked in a driveway with two men in overalls standing at the open door.
Inquiries are ongoing to understand the circumstances leading to the crash

A spokesperson for the Rail Accident Investigation Branch said a team of inspectors was at the site, gathering evidence.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said one man was airlifted to hospital in Hereford, and a woman was taken to the hospital by road.

Fifteen other people were checked over and discharged at the scene. The tractor driver was uninjured, the ambulance service added.

The level crossing takes a farm track across the railway tracks and is only used by agricultural vehicles.

The facility is a user-worked crossing - in these cases, when a railway crosses private land, the owner of the land, working with a signaller, is responsible for opening and closing the gates.

A fire service vehicle and a police car are parked at the entrance to a track. Another fire service vehicle can be seen in the background.
A farm track goes across the railway and is only used by agricultural vehicles

Last month, investigators found several faults in a safety system on a TfW train after a fatal crash in October 2024.

The trains - the Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth service and the Machynlleth to Shrewsbury service - were travelling in opposite directions on a single line and were meant to pass on an extra section of line but the braking system failed.

One man, 66, died and four other passengers were seriously injured.

The RAIB's investigation into the 2024 crash continues and a final report will be published at a later date.

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