On Monday evening, Jonah Evans was enjoying a relaxing train ride, immersed in a Netflix drama, completely unaware that he was moments away from a catastrophic incident. “The driver burst through the doors and yelled, ‘Brace yourselves, brace yourselves, we’re going to hit another train,’” the 25-year-old recalled. He had mere seconds to prepare before the collision. “I thought to myself, ‘It’s been a good ride, it’s been a good life,’” he added.
The crash resulted in one fatality, four serious injuries, and another eleven passengers requiring hospital treatment. Jonah was returning home to Borth, Ceredigion, after celebrating his birthday with friends in Bristol when the accident occurred around 7:30 PM BST. He described the experience as surreal, saying it felt like everything was happening in slow motion as their train collided with a stationary one, throwing passengers from their seats. Though he escaped with whiplash, witnessing the chaos around him was deeply unsettling. “Seeing all those people upset was horrible… it almost felt like a fever dream,” he said.
He vividly recounted, “There was one girl who was really crying out. She was at a table seat and took the brunt of the impact. She began throwing up and was sobbing uncontrollably… it was pretty horrendous.” Jonah also saw others around him with significant injuries, including rib fractures, someone with a dislocated arm, and another passenger who lost teeth in the crash.
Bethan Evans, another passenger who was knocked unconscious during the incident, shared her experience: “The last thing I remember is reading my book and checking the time. Then I woke up to see passengers thrown out of their seats.”
Anthony Hurford, who was traveling on the train that was struck, described the moments immediately after the crash: “I found myself on the floor, wondering what the hell just happened. The only word that keeps coming to mind is brutal. Somehow, my body bent a table leg and ripped it off the wall. Suddenly, my laptop was scattered everywhere.”
Tragically, 66-year-old Tudor Evans from Capel Dewi was in the second carriage and did not survive the incident. His friend, Iestyn Leyshon, expressed his heartbreak, mentioning how Tudor and his wife had just started traveling again after years of hard work. “They were coming back from a holiday in Italy when this tragedy struck,” he said. The family has expressed gratitude for the support they’ve received and requested privacy during this difficult time.
As for how the crash occurred, preliminary investigations by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) revealed that it took place on the Cambrian Line on a single track, near a track loop where trains can pass each other. Evidence shows the trains were traveling at roughly 15 mph when the collision happened, with concerns about low wheel-to-rail adhesion possibly contributing to the crash. Rail engineer and transport writer Gareth Dennis explained, “Low adhesion means the train’s wheels aren’t properly gripping the rail, leading to a sliding situation.” The investigation will continue to explore this crucial factor.
