A second train derailed less than 24 hours after two passengers were seriously injured when a Southern Rail service came off the tracks in East Sussex. A Greater Anglia train derailed at 2.12pm on Friday south of Wickford railway station in Essex, British Transport Police said.
No injuries reported in latest incident
BTP said officers, paramedics and firefighters are at the scene after reports that the rear carriages of the train have derailed in an upright position. No injuries have currently been reported.
Martin Frobisher, group safety and engineering director at Network Rail, said: “We are currently responding to a derailment incident near Wickford station in Essex, and we are working quickly to understand the situation and to provide assistance where needed. Two carriages have derailed but remained fully upright, and there are no significant injuries reported.”
Safety record and investigations
Frobisher said: “I appreciate the public will be concerned at the news of two derailments of passenger trains over a short period of time, but I want to reassure them that Britain’s railways still rank among the safest in the world, and that safety is always our first consideration on the railway.”
He added: “Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by yesterday’s significant incident at Lewes. I want to thank the teams from across the rail industry and emergency services who have been working around the clock to provide assistance and support to those who need it, as well as the response from the local community.”
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is conducting an investigation into the derailment at Lewes, and has investigators on scene at the Wickford incident. Frobisher said: “We would ask people to avoid speculating on the cause of any incidents until further information is available. We will also conduct our own internal investigations, in which we will look at all possible causes and factors.”
Hot weather challenges
Frobisher said: “The unprecedented hot and dry weather that we have experienced this summer has presented exceptional challenges to the railway. In response, we have taken several additional proactive steps to manage and mitigate the impact on the railway, including closely monitoring the temperature of tracks, implementing speed restrictions where it is appropriate to do so, and planning track renewals around high temperatures.”
He added: “Our continued focus remains on supporting those affected by these incidents, working at pace to understand the causes, and doing all we can to get services back running safely as quickly as possible.”
A major incident was declared by British Transport Police in East Sussex when three carriages of a Southern train ended up on their side, trapping passengers near Lewes on Thursday afternoon. Around 150 people had been on board the service from London Victoria to Eastbourne. Two people were taken to major trauma centres with “severe” injuries and BTP said on Friday these were not deemed to be life-threatening. A statement said: “They both remain in hospital and the 18 people who were also treated at hospital for less serious injuries have been discharged.”
