Lewes train derailment that seriously injured two leaves line closed for 10 days

An update has been issued on the impact of the Lewes train derailment, which severely injured two people.

On Thursday, around 150 passengers were travelling on the London Victoria to Eastbourne service when three carriages came off the tracks.

With an investigation underway into the exact cause of the incident, which those onboard described as ‘terrifying’, Network Rail has now said the Lewes to Haywards Heath line will remain closed for at least another 10 days.

A joint statement with Southern Rail said teams would need the time to recover the derailed train and begin repairs to the railway.

The statement further asked customers to check before they travel and, where possible, use alternative train services via Brighton, as while rail replacement buses will run between Lewes and Haywards Heath, serving Cooksbridge and Plumpton, they had limited capacity.

After the derailment at around 3.50pm, some passengers remained trapped for hours before they could climb out via ladders.

While 18 sustained non-serious injuries, two were taken to major trauma centers. Fortunately, their wounds were not deemed to be life-threatening.

Speaking in the aftermath, passengers described the moment ‘everything went topsy-turvy’, with Rob Bradley, who was on the train with his six-year-old daughter, saying he felt the train ‘speeding up and starting to rock’ before ‘skidding’.

Everything was ‘thrown forward’ as the emergency brakes were applied, and people were launched from their seats.

Admitting it was ‘pandemonium’ for a while, Bradley told BBC News that he saw ‘smoke and dust pouring into the carriage’ as people lay with head injuries and bloody cuts.

Another, 56-year-old Yana Ludwig, who was on the train alone, said she was ‘pretty banged up’, and it took around 20 minutes for the emergency services to arrive.

A ‘major incident’ was ultimately declared and led to a ‘do not travel’ warning being issued.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) deployed a team to the site to gather evidence, with the public urged not to speculate.

However, a second train derailment in less than 24 hours, this time near Wickford in Essex, raised questions and safety concerns, particularly as steel tracks had been photographed bent out of shape amid the 38°C heat.

This resulted in Network Rail executive Martin Frobisher admitting that the ‘unprecedented hot and dry weather that we have experienced this summer’ had presented exceptional challenges to the railway.

Still, officials ‘will look at all possible causes and factors’, and the Department for Transport has stressed that Britain’s railways are ‘among the safest in the world’.

The second derailment involved approximately 40 to 45 passengers on the train travelling from Southend.

Witnesses recalled hearing ‘almighty crunching’ as it happened, leading them to believe there had been a crash.

While it did lead to ‘major disruption’, thankfully, there were no reported injuries, and the train carriages remained upright.

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