Get you up to speed: Greater Anglia train derails in Essex in second incident on railways in 24 hours | News UK
A Greater Anglia train partially derailed near Wickford in Essex, with the rear carriages coming off the tracks at 2.12pm. British Transport Police confirmed that paramedics and fire crews are on site, but there are no reported injuries among the 40 to 45 passengers on board.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has deployed inspectors to begin gathering evidence regarding the derailment. A “do not travel” warning is in effect for passengers between Shenfield and Southend Victoria until further notice, with major disruptions expected.
British Transport Police confirmed that paramedics and fire crews are on site after a Greater Anglia train partially derailed near Wickford, Essex, with no reported injuries among the approximately 40 to 45 passengers. An air ambulance was dispatched as a precaution, and a ‘do not travel’ warning between Shenfield and Southend Victoria has been issued until further notice, while inspectors from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch begin gathering evidence.
What remains unclear — The cause of the derailment at Wickford is still under investigation.
Greater Anglia train partially derails near Wickford in Essex, no injuries reported
A Greater Anglia train has partially derailed near Wickford in Essex.
An image taken at the scene shows the train to have come off the tracks, but it remains upright, leaving eyewitnesses ‘shocked’.
British Transport Police confirmed that paramedics and fire crews are on site after the incident at 2.12pm.
They said that the ‘rear carriages’ derailed, but there are no reported injuries. An air ambulance was sent out as a precaution.
About 40 to 45 passengers were on board the train, which was travelling from Southend, Basildon Council said. It left Rayleigh at 2.06pm but failed to reach Wickford at 2:11pm as scheduled.
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As the situation develops, a ‘do not travel’ warning is issued between Shenfield and Southend Victoria until further notice.
An initial statement from National Rail said: ‘There is a problem currently under investigation between Southend Victoria and Wickford, meaning that all lines are blocked.
‘As a result, trains running between Southend Victoria and London Liverpool Street will be cancelled.’
‘Major’ disruption, delays, and cancellations are expected for the foreseeable.
A spokesperson later confirmed that responders were ‘working quickly to understand the situation and to provide assistance where needed’.
‘We will provide further information in due course.’
Inspectors from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) have also been sent to Wickford to ‘begin gathering evidence’.
It comes not even 24 hours after a Southern Rail train derailed near Lewes railway station in East Sussex, leaving two severely injured and another 18 with less serious injuries.
The two passengers remain in hospital, while the others have been discharged. Fortunately, no injuries sustained were ‘life-threatening’.
With around 150 passengers on board the service from London Victoria to Eastbourne, people were trapped for hours after several carriages turned on their side, prompting a major incident to be declared.
Speaking in the aftermath, passengers recalled how the train began ‘rocking’ before ‘everything got thrown forward’.
One told BBC News that it ‘skidded for quite a while’, and, upon turning around, he noticed the back of the train was smoking.
People were seen with bloody wounds and head injuries.
Another described how ‘everything went topsy-turvy’, leaving her ‘pretty banged up’ as a result.
Again, the RAIB ‘deployed a team’ to the site, with a probe now underway to determine the cause of the derailment.