Good Morning Britain took a pause from its regular programming as hosts Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley shared some heartbreaking news.
On the morning of Tuesday (October 22), the ITV duo broke the tragic news of a fatal train collision involving two trains in Wales. Richard, who is 68, confirmed that one person had lost their life and another 15 were injured in the terrible accident.
Susanna declared: “Good morning; it’s eight o’clock, and we have breaking news this morning. A large-scale emergency services operation, including fire and rescue and the coastguard, is currently underway in Wales following a rail collision involving two trains.”
Richard chimed in: “One man has died, and another 15 were injured when the Transport for Wales service to and from Shrewsbury crashed on a single track line last night.”
The incident happened near Llanbrynmair, located on the route between Shrewsbury and Machynlleth, at around 7:30pm the previous evening (October 22).
A spokesperson for British Transport Police reported that they were called to the area of Llanbrynmair after receiving detailed reports of “a low-speed train collision involving two trains”.
Multiple emergency services, including transport police, ambulance teams from the Welsh service, fire brigades, coastguard, and railway company representatives, rushed to the accident site. Disruption alerts from National Rail cited an “operational incident”, suggesting likely cancellations or changes in train services, as reported by the Express.
Katy Rickett of GMB highlighted that the details of the incident are still thin on the ground.
Relaying their personal accounts, two witnesses recounted the unsettling experience. One witness termed the event “brutal,” having seen a train come to an abrupt slow down from what they estimated to be 50 mph.
Another bystander recounted how the train driver spotted a stationary train on the track but was unable to stop in time, warning passengers to “brace themselves” before the crash occurred.
Katy expressed her horror at the tragedy: “It sounds absolutely horrendous, and the worst part of this is that one man has died.”
BTP Superintendent Andrew Morgan announced the sad news and offered condolences, saying: “We can sadly confirm a man has died following this evening’s incident. We extend our deepest sympathies to his loved ones, alongside everyone else impacted, and specialist officers continue to provide support.”
Regarding the investigation, he detailed: “We are working closely with emergency services and the rail industry to understand the circumstances leading up to this collision.”
Additionally, Superintendent Morgan promised more police in the area following the incident: “Residents will see an increased policing presence in the area in the coming days as a result.”
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.