Main train line closure latest after level crossing crash with tractor in Herefordshire
Main train line closure latest after level crossing crash with tractor in Herefordshire
A 32-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of endangering safety on the railway following the incident in which two passengers suffered minor injuries
The scene of the collision where a passenger train crashed into a tractor and trailer near to Nordan Farm, in Leominster, Herefordshire
(Image: Joseph Walshe / SWNS )
The mainline between Hereford and Shrewsbury will remain closed on Friday, May 23, after a train travelling from Manchester to Cardiff hit a tractor-trailer on a level crossing. The Transport for Wales (TfW) train travelling near Leominster, Herefordshire, on Thursday was not derailed but two passengers suffered minor injuries, according to British Transport Police (BTP).
BTP said on Thursday afternoon that a 32-year-old man from Bromyard, Herefordshire, had been arrested on suspicion of endangering safety on the railway. A joint statement from TfW and Network Rail on Thursday evening said work was underway to re-open the line and restore services "as quickly as possible".
The statement said: "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.
"Customers should continue to check before they travel and we will look to provide a further update at midday tomorrow."
BTP said officers were called to the level crossing north of Leominster at 10.40am on Thursday. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here
West Midlands Ambulance Service said one man was airlifted to Hereford County Hospital and a woman was taken to the facility by road.
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"Fifteen further patients who were passengers on the train were assessed, and all were discharged at the scene," an ambulance service spokeswoman said.
"Nobody from the tractor required assessment."
West Mercia Police and fire crews also attended the scene.
BTP said inquiries into the lead-up to the incident were ongoing.
A spokesperson for the Rail Accident Investigation Branch said: "The RAIB has sent a team of inspectors to Leominster in Herefordshire who are at the site of a collision between a passenger train and an agricultural trailer at a user-worked level crossing.
"Our inspectors will gather evidence as part of the process of conducting a preliminary examination and a decision on whether an investigation will be launched will be taken in the coming days."
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Councillor Dan Hurcomb, ward councillor for the area on Herefordshire Council, said: "I was very concerned to hear about the incident on the railway line today and I am grateful for the swift response of the emergency services.
"Whilst I am relieved that no-one was seriously injured, the reality is this could have been much worse, and I hope there will be a full investigation now to establish the facts and ensure this type of accident cannot happen again."
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