Remembering rail disaster of 1868

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A memorial service has been held to remember the victims of one of the first - and worst - rail disasters in the UK.

Thirty three people died on August 20, 1868, when the Irish Mail train ploughed into six runaway trucks at Llanddulas, near Abergele.

Most of the bodies were so badly burned they could not be identified.

The victims were buried in a mass grave at St Michael's Church, Abergele, where the Sunday service was held.

The Reverend Donald Postles said: "They were all brought in 20 coffins because in some cases there was only sort of ashes left of the people."

He said the memorial service was firstly to "remember these people and we will have the laying of the wreath at the actual memorial".

It was big news at that time bearing in mind that the railways would have started in 1864 Delyth McRae, local historian

He said it was also to think "about some of the other things it brings to mind".

"We travel safer on our trains now as a result of improvements which were made because of the lessons learnt.

"This ought to remind us very much to be thankful."

The Irish Mail train had the reputation of being the fastest in the country at the time and transported some of the wealthiest men and women in the country to their estates in Ireland via the Holyhead ferry.

After leaving Euston station in London on that fateful day 140 years ago, it reached Chester station.

Some new passengers who joined there headed to the front of the train and others went to the back - a decision that was to be hugely significant.

The passenger train was hit by runaway carriages

As it approached Abergele an hour later, goods trucks that were being shunted into the railway sidings ahead began to roll towards the oncoming Irish Mail passenger train.

The collision turned into a catastrophe because two of the trucks were carrying 50 barrels of paraffin.

There were no injured passengers - it was either a complete escape or death depending on where passengers were on the train.

So disfigured were the remains of the 33 bodies brought from the wreckage that identification was impossible in all but three cases and the coffins were simply given numbers.

The burial register, which can be seen in the church, contains entries such as "female, unknown".

News of the crash shocked Britain.

Local historian Delyth McRae said: "It was big news at that time bearing in mind that the railways would have started in 1864.

"This accident happened in 1868 so it was one of the most horrendous accidents ever to have happened."