Cause of Death Undetermined for Man in Train Collision

The official cause of death for a man who died following a collision involving two trains has not yet been established, an inquest has been informed. David Tudor Evans, 66, from Capel Dewi in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, was a passenger on a train traveling from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth when it collided with a stationary train on 21 October near Llanbrynmair, Powys. Last week, Nick Millington, Network Rail’s route director, stated that the investigation was “complex” and that they were “unable to speculate if leaves on the tracks contributed to the crash”. The inquest in Aberystwyth concerning Mr Evans, who was known as Tudor, has been adjourned. Louisa Corcoran, Assistant Coroner for Ceredigion, informed the brief inquest at Aberystwyth Justice Centre that Mr Evans, known as Tudor, was identified at the scene by his wife, Rachel Evans. Mr Evans had been returning home from a holiday in Italy. The two-train collision involved the 18:31 westbound service from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and the 19:09 stationary train heading from Machynlleth to Shrewsbury. Four other individuals sustained serious injuries in the crash, and an additional 11 required hospital treatment, according to the Rail Accident Investigations Branch (RAIB). The RAIB and British Transport Police confirmed that their investigations are ongoing. Officers were dispatched at approximately 19:29, following reports of a low-speed collision near Llanbrynmair, Powys. The RAIB indicated last week that the condition of the track leading up to the crash point meant “adhesion” between the wheels and rails was low. This, the RAIB stated, suggested the Aberystwyth-bound train may have slid while braking, causing it to strike the Shrewsbury-bound stationary train at about 15mph (24 km/h). An internal log of events showed that the driver of the train for Aberystwyth reported entering a loop where opposing trains can pass each other as planned, but was unable to stop due to “railhead conditions”. This resulted in the train passing a stop signal. A signaller instructed the oncoming train to stop, but a crash could not be avoided. A conductor on the train that slid sustained a head injury and a possible broken arm. The driver of the other train experienced some bleeding. They were initially trapped in their cab due to damage. At the inquest, Ms Corcoran stated that a post-mortem examination was in progress, and therefore no medical cause of death had yet been recorded. She also mentioned that no pre-inquest date had been set “due to the complexity” of the investigation, but that a date would be confirmed in due course. The Cambrian Line was closed for a week after the crash, while Network Rail stated its engineers were examining “immediate lessons” to prevent any future crashes before reopening. The line reopened on 28 October. The A470, the main road connecting north and south Wales, was also closed in both directions near Caersws, with rail replacement services in operation. Traffic Wales confirmed that the road had reopened on Friday, with both trains removed from the scene. Mr Evans’ family thanked people for “kind messages and support”, and asked for privacy.