Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has pledged to understand what caused Monday night's fatal train crash in mid-Wales.
A man in his 60s died due to a suspected heart attack and 15 people were taken to hospital after two Transport for Wales class 158s collided head-on shortly before 1930.
TfW staff were among those injured when the westbound 1831 Shrewsbury-Aberystwyth service failed to stop in the passing loop at Talerddig and carried on downhill until it struck the eastbound 1909 Machynlleth-Shrewsbury near the village of Llanbrynmair.
Senior politicians and industry figures have also spoken to express their sympathies to those involved.
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: “I’m incredibly sorry to hear one man has died and many others were injured in the train crash in Powys.
“My thoughts are with all of those involved, and their families.
“I also want to thank the emergency services who responded so quickly last night and remain on the scene.
“Safety on our railways is my absolute priority and we are working at pace with Transport for Wales and Network Rail to understand what happened and how we can prevent it going forward.”
Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan said her ‘thoughts were with all those involved’, adding: “I would like to thank the emergency services for their response.”
Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, said the line east of Machynlleth would remain closed while investigations continue.
He said: "I am extremely grateful to the emergency services who attended the scene and helped our passengers and staff.
"The safety of our passengers and staff is, as always, our key priority. Transport for Wales are working closely with all agencies, including emergency services and Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), to understand how this incident happened and they will have my full support."
Martin Frobisher, Network Rail’s director of safety and engineering, said: “We are deeply saddened by the train crash that occurred in Wales last night. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragic incident, including passengers, train-crew members, and their families.
“We are working closely with the emergency services and the multi-agency team to fully understand the circumstances of what happened and why.
“Our immediate priority is to help support those impacted and to assist investigators in determining the cause of the crash. Such serious railway accidents are rare, and we are determined to make them rarer still.”
Russell George, Welsh Parliament member for Montgomeryshire, added: "My thoughts are with the family of the man that sadly died, and for those that have been injured. Clearly there are many questions about how this accident happened, but for now, it’s important the investigators are allowed to do their work."
Richard Hines, Chief Inspector of Railways at the Office of Rail and Road, added: “My thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who sadly lost his life and all those involved in the terrible train collision incident that occurred near to Llanbrynmair, Powys, last night.
“Office of Rail and Road inspectors are attending the scene of the incident and will work closely with other agencies to establish what has happened.”
Mick Lynch, general secretary said: “This is a tragic incident and the thoughts of everyone at RMT are with the family and friends of the passenger who died, and all the train crew and travelling public who were injured during this accident.”
A spokesman for ASLEF, the train drivers’ union, said: “Our thoughts are with all those affected by the incident in Llanbrynmair last night. We are in contact with the authorities and will continue to assist with any investigations.”
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