Train derails in southern England, leaving 11 injured and two seriously hurt
Eleven people have been injured, including two seriously, when a train carrying approximately 150 passengers derailed in southern England.
Multiple emergency services are at the site of the incident, which happened on Thursday afternoon near Lewes railway station in East Sussex, around 45 miles south of London, according to British Transport Police (BTP).
The Southern Rail train was traveling from London Victoria to Eastbourne at the time of the incident. Three carriages derailed and came to rest on their sides, leaving a number of people trapped, BTP said on Thursday evening.
“We’ve declared a major incident and a significant emergency service response is ongoing at the scene, but all passengers on the train have now been safely evacuated from the service,” Assistant Chief Constable Ian Drummond-Smith said.
The UK’s Rail Accident Investigation Branch has deployed a team of investigators to the site to begin gathering evidence.
Images posted to social media appear to show several train carriages on their sides, with people standing on them.
South East Coast Ambulance Service also confirmed the injuries on Thursday evening. “Patients have been assessed and treated at the scene, with some transported to local hospitals for further treatment and care.”
Passengers from the train who didn’t require hospital treatment were taken to a nearby community center for additional support. Yana Ludwig, 56 from the United States, described the crash as a “completely terrifying” experience.
“There was a banging. Everything just went topsy turvy,” said Ludwig, who was traveling on the train from London to Lewes, according to Britain’s PA Media news agency. “It seemed like a really long time but it probably was 10 seconds of that before the carriage actually fell on the side.”
Ludwig recalled being propped up over another passenger, adding: “I’m pretty banged up.” She said travelers were checking on each other as they waited for emergency services to arrive.
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said it was working with other emergency services at the scene and advised the public to avoid the area.
“We have ten fire engines, a Command Support Unit, technical rescue units, officers and other resources at the scene,” the fire service said. “We have been helping reach passengers and assisting other emergency services.”
UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was “deeply concerned” by reports of the derailment and thanked emergency responders working at the scene to support those impacted.
“We are working quickly with the rail industry and local partners to assist passengers,” she added.
There was no immediate indication of the cause of the derailment. Some train services had been canceled and others were running at reduced speeds due to a heatwave – temperatures in some parts of southern England reached 35 degrees Celsius, or 95 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday.
The TSSA transport union also expressed its concern over the derailment. “With a large number of passengers involved, their safety and wellbeing must come first. We thank all emergency services and rail staff responding at the scene and await to hear more,” it said in a statement.
Rail customers have been warned of “major disruption” for the next several hours, according to National Rail.
“No trains can run through Lewes and Haywards Heath until further notice. You will need to use an alternative route to reach your destination,” it said.
Train operator Southern Rail has advised the public not to travel with all lines through Lewes railway station shut down to allow emergency team, rail engineers and other specialist staff “to assess the situation and ensure the railway is safe.”
Thursday’s incident is the second serious train crash in the UK in two months. In June, two passenger trains collided in south-central England near the town of Bedford, killing one person and injuring dozens more.
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