One dead and 15 injured after two trains crash in Wales

TfL has launched its latest consultation on taxi fares – and they’re considering three different options for the minimum fare.

Minimum fares could stay at the current rate of £3.80, or increase to either £4.00 or £4.20.

Potential tariff changes include either freezing them or adjusting them based on rising costs, which could see tariffs go up by up to 7.48%.

The consultation is open until December 2 – have your say on the TfL website here.

The northbound carriageway has one lane closed between junction 20 for Clevedon and junction 19 for Gordano after a collision.

Drivers are being delayed by about 45 minutes as there is about five miles of queueing traffic on the approach.

The M6 currently has one of four lanes closed on the northbound carriageway between junction 18 for Holmes Chapel and 19 for Knutsford.

The closure has been put in place after a crash.

There are about 5 miles of queues on the approach and drivers are being delayed by almost an hour.

All lanes on the northbound carriageway at junction 6 have reopened following a crash earlier this morning.

National Highways say there aren’t any residual delays.

Anthony Hurford, a witness travelling to Shrewsbury, told BBC Breakfast: ‘The word that keeps coming to my head is just brutal really.

‘Just going from, I don’t know how fast we were going, maybe 40, 50, 60mph, to nothing in the blink of an eye.

‘Somehow my body bent the leg of a table and ripped it off its bolts attached to the wall. Suddenly I was on the floor with my laptop strewn ahead of me wondering what the hell had happened.

‘We tried to stop at the lights. At the top of the hill there’s a signal that I guess would’ve been a passing place and for whatever reason the train wouldn’t stop.

‘There must’ve been 30/40 people from fire (service), there was British Transport Police who had come from Birmingham, there were three helicopters, people had come from north and south Wales as far as I’m aware. I was checked by three or four different medics.’

As we mentioned earlier, there are still severe delays on the Northern line between Camden Town and High Barnet / Mill Hill East after a fire alert.

Part of the line, which had been suspended due to the alert, is now up and running again.

There is still ticket acceptance in place on buses and good service on the rest of the line.

Earlier delays on the Circle line have also cleared up, meaning there is good service on all other Tube lines.

More bad news for rail passengers in Wales this morning.

In addition to the routes listed below which are facing disruption due to slippery lines, the Heart of Wales line has now been closed until further notice.

Rail replacement buses will run where possible, National Rail says.

The man who died in a head-on collision between two trains in Wales last night was a passenger on one of the trains, the PA news agency understands.

Slippery rails on the network means that some Transport for Wales routes are being disrupted today. As a result, trains may be delayed by up to 60 minutes. Disruption is expected until the end of the day.

The following routes are impacted by this disruption:

• Hereford and Abergavenny
• Craven Arms and Llanelli
• Chester and Wrexham General
• Bidston and Wrexham Central
• Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog

There are delays on the M25 anticlockwise from junction 2 for the A2 up to the Dartford Tunnels this morning thanks to the usual rush hour congestion.

The east tunnel was closed yesterday evening and overnight following a large hydraulic fluid spillage, meaning about 400 metres of road needed to be resurfaced as an emergency, causing big tailbacks.

It fully reopened at around 3.45am.

There are severe delays between Camden Town and Mill Hill East while TfL respond to a fire alert at High Barnet.

The line is suspended between High Barnet and Finchley Central.

Tickets are being accepted on buses via any reasonable route.

There is good service on the rest of the line.

A joint Transport for Wales and Network Rail statement published yesterday evening said: ‘Emergency services are responding to an incident near Llanbrynmair in Powys, Mid Wales, involving two trains – the 6.31pm Transport for Wales service from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and the 7.09pm Transport for Wales service from Machynlleth to Shrewsbury.

‘The line is closed as they carry out their work. Our main priority is the safety of our passengers and colleagues and we are doing all we can to support the emergency services as they respond to the incident.

‘We would encourage passengers to plan ahead and check journeys before travelling via National Rail Enquiries.’

A further joint statement added: ‘Our first thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the man who has lost his life, as well as all the other people involved in this incident.

‘We’re extremely grateful to the emergency services who attended the scene and helped our passengers and staff in challenging circumstances.

‘We are working closely with other agencies, including emergency services, to understand how this incident happened and they will have our full support.’

One of two lanes on the A34 has reopened in both directions after a major crash blocked the entire road.

However lane two is still closed both ways to repair significant damage to the central barrier, and National Highways says this closure is likely to remain in place for the rest of the day.

The lane closure is between the B4640 for Tot Hill and the A343 for Enborne Row.

All lines are currently closed between Machynlleth and Shrewsbury following the head-on train crash in the Talerddig area yesterday evening.

All Transport for Wales routes which run between Birmingham International or Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth are affected by the line closure.

Services between Machynlleth and Pwllheli are able to run as normal.

Rail replacement transport is in operation between Shrewsbury and Machynlleth / Aberystwyth (provided by Lakeside Coaches, Keanes Coaches, Lloyds Coaches and JKT International).

This disruption is expected to last until at least the end of service today.

Two out of three lanes have been closed on the M40 after a crash.

Lanes two and three are shut northbound at junction 6 for Lewknor.

There are 2.5 miles of tailbacks and drivers are facing half an hour delays at the moment.

The suspension on the Circle line has been lifted after TfL finished repairing a points failure at Aldgate.

However there are severe delays clockwise while service recovers.

There is currently good service anticlockwise, and no other issues reported on any other London Underground lines.

BTP Superintendent Andrew Morgan said: ‘We can sadly confirm a man has died following this incident.

‘We extend our deepest sympathies to his loved ones, alongside everyone else impacted and specialist officers continue to provide support.

 ‘Residents will see an increased policing presence in the area in the coming days as a result.’

Meanwhile Network Rail and Transport for Wales said in a joint statement: ‘Our first thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the man who has lost his life, as well as all the other people involved in this incident.

‘We’re extremely grateful to the emergency services who attended the scene and helped our passengers and staff in challenging circumstances.

‘We are working closely with other agencies, including emergency services, to understand how this incident happened and they will have our full support.’

Northbound – solid diamond diversion symbols

• From the A34 northbound, leave at the Bullington Cross interchange
• Use the 1st exit and join the A303 westbound
•  Follow for approximately 5 miles towards Andover
• Leave the A303 at the Picket Twenty interchange
• Join the A3093 and continue over 2 intermediate roundabouts to the A343 roundabout (Newbury Road)
• Use the 3rd exit and join the A343. Continue for approximately 14 miles to the A34 Wash Common interchange
• At the T junction, turn left to rejoin the A34 northbound

Southbound – solid triangle diversion symbols

• From the A34 southbound, leave at the Wash Common interchange
• At the roundabout, use the 3rd exit and join the A343
• Follow the A343 beneath the A34 and continue for approximately 14 miles into Andover
•  At the A3093 roundabout, use the 1st exit and join the A3093 (Churchill Way)
• Continue on the A3093 over 2 intermediate roundabouts, to the A303 Picket Twenty interchange
• Use the 1st exit and join the A303 eastbound
• Follow for approximately 5 miles to the A34 Bullington Cross
  interchange
• Leave the A303 and continue to a roundabout
• Use the 2nd exit and join a link road to a further roundabout, passing beneath the A34 and A303 between
• At the roundabout, use the 2nd exit and rejoin the A34 southbound