A passenger described seeing two fireballs after her train hit an object on the rail and derailed. The incident involved the Crewe train to Cardiff Central at 20:43, which was diverted via Chester, and happened near Craven Arms around 11pm on Sunday (May 23rd). Photos from the scene show a fire under the cars after the collision.
The passenger said he had to wait more than four hours as a replacement bus had been purchased, and had not yet returned to Cardiff until 7 a.m. Monday morning. She said: “I was in the front car and the lights went out and we derailed and two fireballs were on either side of the window. Then it ignited from below, and when we stopped, smoke began to enter and we went down.
“We were incredibly lucky. The conductor was brilliant, but the accident happened around 23:00, but we didn’t get a bus until 3:30 in the morning. No food, no toilet and no accommodation while we waited outside.
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Passengers are warned of delays on the route for most of Monday. Trains between Hereford and Shrewsbury have been suspended and replaced by buses “until the end of the day”, affecting a number of services from Cardiff, Carmarthen, Llanelli, Maestg and Holyhead. The A49 in Shropshire was closed in both directions at Craven Arms, but has since reopened.
On Twitter, a passenger shared a photo of a fire under a train and said we were safe. The National Rail Inquiries website says: “An operational incident between Hereford and Shrewsbury means that all lines are blocked. Trains running between these stations will be inspected or canceled. A break is expected by the end of the day. “
It states that the operator concerned is Transport for Wales and lists the affected routes between Cardiff Central and Crewe / Holyhead / Chester / Shrewsbury / Manchester Piccadilly and between Carmarton / Milford Haven and Manchester Piccadilly and between Llanelli / Maestg and Holyhead.
A spokesman for Transport for Wales said: “The Crewe service to Cardiff Central at 20:43 was suspended after contact with a site near Craven Arms. All 49 passengers on board were safely evacuated and replacement road transport was organized. The interruption of services is expected to continue until Monday afternoon and passengers are advised to check the latest travel information before starting their journey. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. ” Scroll down for live updates:
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