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Police also yesterday said one of the train drivers had suffered “lifechanging” injuries but was in a stable condition.

The news came as investigators continued scouring the site near a major rail junction for clues to what caused the Halloween night smash.

British Transport Police (BTP) said 14 people were treated in hospital for minor injuries and 30 “walking wounded” attended a makeshift casualty centre.

The driver was cut from his cabin in a South Western Railway London to Honiton train after the smash with a Great Western Railway going from Southampton to Cardiff. Supt Lisa Garrett added: “Unfortunately the driver of the train was more seriously injured and his injuries are believed to be life-changing.”

BTP has established that the SWR train struck the side of the GWR service as they both entered Fisherton Tunnel. This caused the SWR train to derail, tipping its rear carriages on to their side.

The crash happened at a Y-shaped rail junction – with the trains approaching the tunnel in the same direction but on separate tracks.

Former Royal Navy sailor Alan Crocker, who was travelling home to Exmouth on the Devon-bound train, said: “There was a jolt and a juddering which I imagine was the train leaving the rails. There was a fireball and a little bit of smoke coming through the train.

“There was a smell of diesel, that was a real concern. That was my initial concern. Was there a fire and was there going to be smoke?”

A passenger from the Bristol train, 51-year-old Corinna Anderson, of Derby, said: “There was a threeweek-old baby that was rescued off the train by the fire service and thankfully she is doing OK.

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“As I climbed off my train I saw the fireman cradling the baby in his arms. hen I saw the mother given the baby and they were escorted away for medical attention.”

Another traveller, Lucy Gregory said she was launched across a table and on to the floor, adding: “They smashed the windows and we got out of the window. It was really scary.”

Experts said the causes for similar past crashes include signal failures and trains passing through stop lights in error. BTP said there was nothing to suggest either train hit an object.

Last night the train firms and Network Rail said of the driver: “Everyone in the railway family wishes him a full and swift recovery.”

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