Overview
- A head-on collision on October 21, 2024, between two Transport for Wales trains near Talerddig killed passenger David Tudor Evans and left several people seriously or mildly injured after a westbound train failed to stop inside a passing loop.
- The Rail Accident Investigation Branch concluded on June 17, 2026, that the crash would likely have been prevented if the driver had used the cab's manual emergency sander operated by a yellow plunger.
- Investigators found the train's manual sander discharged correctly in post-accident tests but the automatic sanding system had multiple faults before the collision, including blocked hoses, electrical failures and incorrectly fitted flow-measuring plates.
- The RAIB identified wider failings in driver training and competence management, gaps in TfW and Network Rail understanding of adhesion and signalling interactions, and cabin and rescue-access issues that worsened injuries.
- The report issues nine recommendations to Transport for Wales, Network Rail, the Rail Safety and Standards Board and Angel Trains and TfW and Network Rail have said they will consider and work to implement the measures while unions have offered to help.