Inquiry on train and lorry crash

Normal services were running on the line on Thursday

An investigation is continuing into how a train with 13 passengers on board collided with a lorry at a level crossing in north Wales on Wednesday.

Ten rail passengers were treated for shock and the lorry driver suffered a minor head wound in the incident a mile down the line from Porthmadog station.

The accident happened at the access to a depot for the Welsh Highland Railway.

A Gwynedd councillor said lights were needed at the scene to prevent a similar accident from happening again.

The 1427 Arriva Trains Wales service from Machynlleth to Pwllheli struck the lorry at the level crossing, which is used only for access to the Welsh Highland Railway site, shortly after 1600 GMT.

Rail services were back to normal on Thursday, following the initial investigation at the scene.

Roads users operate the crossing gates and ensure the line is clear before proceeding across in their road vehicle - the crossing has no incident history British Transport Police

An eye witnesses reported seeing the lorry lifted off the ground on impact and spun around.

The lorry driver has since been released from Ysbyty Gwynedd hospital in Bangor after treatment for a head injury.

A spokesman for his company Travis Perkins said those involved "only received minor injuries and we wish them all a speedy recovery".

He said: "A full investigation is ongoing by all parties involved together with the Health and Safety Executive to determine the cause and a full statement will be made upon its conclusion."

"Travis Perkins takes health and safety extremely seriously, and is fully aware of its responsibilities with regard to commercial vehicles."

A director with the Welsh Highland steam railway, which runs parallel to the main line, was one of the first on the scene and gave first aid to the lorry driver.

Mark Herbert told BBC Wales: "I ran round to check to see if the driver was okay. He was already out of the cab."

Mr Herbert, who only recently qualified in first aid, added: "He had a bad gash to his head - I wrapped it up to stop the bleeding."

The level crossing is said to have no history of similar incidents

A British Transport Police spokesman said the train was travelling at around 20mph at the time of the collision.

He added: "It was not derailed and suffered minor damage.

"The line is single track in a rural location with only around a dozen train services a day.

"The crossing is on a private road, called an accommodation crossing and has gates and 'Stop, Look & Listen' signs.

The spokesman said drivers open and close the crossing gates themselves after checking that the line is clear.

He said the crossing was on a straight piece of track with a clear view in both directions and there had been no previous incidents.

But Gwynedd councillor Ieuan Roberts has called for better safety measures to be installed at the scene.

"This crossing has two gates and a sign telling you to watch out for a train. This is not enough," he said.

"We will now have to ask for lights here or something similar so that whoever is going to cross will know a train is coming.

"The train could press something that will switch the red lights on so that you can't cross."

James Hewett, chairman of the Welsh Highland Railway Limited, said: "It is standard practice that all our staff are briefed regularly on the safety regulations for using this crossing."