Train operator says there will be no services from Shrewsbury to Birmingham at the weekend after tragic train crash in Mid Wales

Network Rail has said it expects the Cambrian Line to open to normal services from Monday.

The ruling came after one person was killed and 15 people were injured in the crash of two trains near Llanbrynmair in mid-Wales on Monday evening.

Network Rail said investigation teams had now completed their investigations at the scene.

This enabled Transport for Wales (TfW) engineers to reach the site of the crash and separate the two damaged trains, which are now being removed from the site.

At the same time, Network Rail engineers carried out repairs, maintenance and a number of safety checks and inspections.

A statement from Network Rail sought to reassure the public about the line: “Safety systems on trains using this line continue to be checked and inspected regularly.

“Test trains will be running around the area to make sure everything is working normally before passenger services begin on Monday.”

However, it said the incident may still impact rail services in the short term and passengers should continue to check the situation before traveling.

Nick Millington, director of Network Rail’s Wales & Borders route, said: “The tragic events of Monday evening will forever remain in my memory and my thoughts remain with all those affected.

“Fortunately, such incidents on the rail network are extremely rare. We continue to operate one of the safest railway networks in Europe.

“Our engineers were on site throughout and carried out very thorough safety checks, and we will also run test trains through the area.

“I am grateful to the local community who have been very supportive throughout the last week as we dealt with this incident.

“I would also like to thank passengers for their patience, understanding and support over the last few days as our teams have worked tirelessly to restore the railway line as quickly as possible.”

Jan Chaudhry van der Velde, TfW’s chief operating officer, said: “The railways in Wales have a very good safety record, so when serious incidents like this occur, we at TfW, together with our partners at Network Rail, are determined to get to the bottom of it. what was the cause.

“Therefore, we fully cooperate with the authorities investigating the collision, and in particular with the Railway Accident Investigation Department.

“We have been working hard to safely leave the scene of the accident and carry out full safety checks and tests before reopening the line to passenger trains.

“We express our condolences to the family of the deceased passenger and hope that the passengers and staff members injured in the collision recover quickly.”

Network Rail said there would be no TfW services running between Shrewsbury and Birmingham International on Saturday and Sunday due to “operational challenges” created by the incident.

Where it is confirmed that acceptance of tickets has been agreed with West Midlands Railways on the route in question, but adds that passengers are advised to use alternative routes where possible.