Services along a major railway line in Wales faced a major disruption as a train derailed, causing its wheels to come off the tracks near Llandrindod station. As a result of the incident, all services between Shrewsbury and Llanwrtyd along the Heart of Wales line were cancelled for the remainder of August 27. The line, spanning 121 miles from Swansea to Shrewsbury, saw operations disrupted with trains only shuttling between Llanwrtyd and Swansea, and bus replacement services were arranged.
Network Rail, responsible for managing the rail infrastructure, reported that the incident occurred around 7.30 am on Tuesday when a set of wheels of the 05.22 Shrewsbury to Swansea service derailed at low speed. The cause of the incident is under investigation, and services along the Heart of Wales line are expected to experience disruption throughout the day. Passengers were advised to check before travelling, and affected individuals were informed that they could use their tickets on Transport for Wales (TfW) services to Swansea via Cardiff Central at no extra cost.
Transport for Wales and National Rail were working jointly to manage the situation caused by the derailment. Specifically, National Rail provided details of the replacement bus services running between Shrewsbury and Llanwrtyd at specified times to assist affected passengers. Meanwhile, services between Swansea and Llanwrtyd were operational, facilitating partial connectivity along the affected route. Additional updates were provided by both authorities as the investigation and rectification efforts progressed.
The disruption on the Heart of Wales line signified a significant challenge for commuters and travellers utilising the impacted services. While the exact cause of the derailment was still being determined, transport authorities were focused on restoring normal operations as swiftly as possible. Passengers were encouraged to stay informed through official communication channels and make necessary travel arrangements considering the altered service provisions.