Welshpool’s mayor has said the recent train crash in Powys demonstrates the “vital importance” of the town’s Air Ambulance base.

With the Powys town’s Air Ambulance base facing closure in 2026, Welshpool mayor Cllr Phil Owen released a statement offering “heartfelt sympathies” to those affected by the crash on behalf of the council while adding that it highlights how “vital” the base is.

The crash, which happened on October 21, in Talerddig by Llanbrynmair, saw two Transport for Wales trains collide and resulted in one person dying as well as several others taken to nearby hospitals with injuries.

READ MORE: Train in fatal mid Wales crash may have slid while braking

Commenting via social media, Cllr Owen said: “Talerddig occupies a relatively remote spot in our county, and we are aware that it took some responders up to two hours to reach the scene.

“This serves to demonstrate the vital importance of the Air Ambulance to this area of Mid-Wales. This is particularly vital in circumstances where the available hospitals are located many miles distant from our rural areas.

“In this case, it is our understanding that some injured passengers were taken to Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth and others to Shrewsbury. In cases of medical emergency, where time is of the essence, the ability for responders to act swiftly is of paramount importance.

“This is a facility that the air ambulance, currently located in Welshpool, gives us.”

OTHER NEWS:

In April 2024 the Welsh NHS’ Joint Commissioning Committee voted in favour of closing the base which has served Powys for nearly 20 years, along with the base in Caernarfon, in order to merge into a new site in North Wales.

The closure plans were met with opposition from across Powys with a grassroots campaign to save the base which has seen a public petition to save the base receiving over 30,000 signatures.

Regarding those affected by the crash, the statement added: “We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of the passenger who unfortunately died. We hope that all those who were injured in the collision will make a full and speedy recovery.

“We would also like to thank all the emergency responders who attended the accident, including Dyfed-Powys Police, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, the Wales Ambulance Service, the Coastguard Service and the Wales Air Ambulance.”