This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Two railway workers killed by a passenger train near Port Talbot, south Wales, have been identified as a 58-year-old man from North Cornelly and a 64-year-old from Kenfig Hill.

In a statement, the British Transport Police said the two railway workers had been wearing ear defenders and had not been aware of the passenger train approaching.

A third person was treated for shock at the scene but was uninjured.

Supt Andy Morgan of the British Transport Police said: “Following a number of urgent inquiries into this tragic incident, it has been established that the three people were railway workers who were working on the lines at the time.

“The initial stages of the investigation suggest that the two men who died had been wearing ear defenders at the time and, tragically, could not hear the passenger train approaching.”

Police said officers would continue to investigate and that the men’s families had been informed.

Network Rail is facing demands for answers over the incident.

The transport secretary, Chris Grayling, said there would be an investigation into how the incident occurred on Wednesday morning.

Network Rail’s Wales route director, Bill Kelly, said it was “shocked and distressed” by the “dreadful accident” and was fully cooperating with investigators.

“Our thoughts are with the families of our colleagues and our members of staff who will be affected by this tragic loss, and we will provide all the support we can,” he said.

Union leaders called for a full investigation into the deaths. Manuel Cortes, the TSSA general secretary, said: “It’s too early to speculate about what has happened here, but clearly something has gone badly wrong. There must now be a full investigation because it is simply not acceptable that in the 21st century, people go out to work and end up losing their lives.

“Our Network Rail members, together with everyone else at the company, do so much to keep our railways running smoothly. They must be able to do this in a safe environment.

“Safety on our railways is paramount and sadly, as today’s tragic events show, it can never be taken for granted.”

Mick Cash, the general secretary of the RMT union, said: “This is shocking news. RMT is attempting to establish the full facts, but our immediate reaction is that this is an appalling tragedy and that no one working on the railway should be placed in the situation that has resulted in the deaths that have been reported this morning.

“As well as demanding answers from Network Rail and a suspension of all similar works until the facts are established, the union will be supporting our members and their families at this time. Our thoughts are with those involved in this incident and their loved ones.”

The incident resulted in cancelled trains, with replacement buses being put on for rail passengers.

Investigators from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch and the Office of Rail and Road attended the scene.

A man who said he worked at the nearby Tata steelworks said: “I didn’t see a great deal. By the time I got close paramedics were giving one of the workers CPR, but he sadly passed away. The other worker had already passed away.”

Stephen Kinnock, the local Labour MP, said: “I’m very concerned to see reports of the tragic accident on the rail line between Bridgend and Port Talbot. This is awful news and my thoughts are with the families of all concerned.”