A major emergency operation was launched near Lewes, East Sussex, after a Southern passenger train derailed on Thursday afternoon, leaving two people seriously injured and nine others with less serious injuries.
The eight-carriage service came off the tracks at around 3.54pm while travelling between Haywards Heath and Lewes.
Three carriages overturned during the incident, prompting passengers to scramble from the train as emergency crews raced to the scene.
Around 150 passengers were believed to have been on board.
Emergency Crews Converge on Crash Site
Sussex Police, British Transport Police, paramedics and East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service were among the emergency services responding to the derailment.
South East Coast Ambulance Service said those injured were assessed and treated at the scene, with some passengers subsequently taken to local hospitals for additional care.
Passengers who did not need hospital treatment were transported to a nearby community centre, where partner agencies were providing support.
No fatalities have been reported.
Images from the scene showed passengers standing on top of overturned carriages as emergency responders worked around the wreckage.
An air ambulance was also seen leaving the area at approximately 5.58pm.
Members of the public were urged to keep away from the site while the rescue operation continued.
Passenger Describes Terrifying Moments
Yana Ludwig, 56, from Washington State in the United States, was travelling back from London when the train derailed as she approached her stop at Lewes.
She described hearing a loud banging sound before the train began shaking violently and everything appeared to turn upside down.
Ludwig said she was thrown from her seat and landed on another passenger.
Although the experience was terrifying, she said she was relieved that nobody had been killed.
She also recalled how difficult it was to judge the passage of time during the incident as passengers waited for emergency crews to arrive.
Father Says His Daughter Was Seconds From Overturned Carriage
Rob Bradley was travelling from London Victoria to Eastbourne with his six-year-old daughter, Mabel, when the derailment occurred.
The pair were sitting in the fourth carriage, while the fifth carriage overturned.
Bradley said his daughter had been moving between the two carriages just moments before the crash.
He recalled the train beginning to accelerate and rock before their carriage suddenly jumped upwards.
The emergency brakes were activated, sending passengers and belongings forward as the train continued to skid before coming to a halt.
Bradley said they then saw that the rear of the train had been badly damaged, with smoke and dust entering their carriage and the fifth carriage lying on its side.
He said he and his daughter were fortunate to have been in the fourth carriage when the derailment occurred.
Passenger Claims Track Problem Had Been Noticed
Another passenger, Eastbourne father-of-two Liton Miah, said he was travelling with his wife and daughters to visit relatives in London.
Miah suffered significant bruising to his side during the crash and said he had noticed a warning about a problem with the track before the derailment.
He said he tried to protect his family and subsequently attempted to help another couple.
One man, he recalled, was bleeding heavily and appeared to require urgent assistance.
The circumstances surrounding the reported track warning have not been established, and there has been no confirmation that a track defect caused the derailment.
Investigators Yet to Establish Cause
The cause of the crash remains unknown.
The derailment occurred as temperatures climbed above 30C in parts of Sussex during Britain’s hottest day of the year so far, prompting questions about whether extreme heat or track conditions could have played a role.
However, investigators have yet to determine what caused the train to leave the rails, and early speculation about a possible track problem remains unconfirmed.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is deploying investigators to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Transport Secretary Expresses Concern
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was “deeply concerned” by reports of the derailment and praised the emergency services dealing with the incident.
She said the Government was working with the rail industry and local partners to assist passengers affected by the crash.
British Transport Police confirmed that officers were at the scene following the 3.54pm derailment and were working alongside paramedics and firefighters.
Lewes Rail Services Hit by Major Disruption
The derailment has brought rail traffic through Lewes to a halt.
Southern Railway said all lines through the station had been closed to allow emergency services to access the site and deal with the incident.
Passengers were warned to expect major disruption until around 10pm, with services affected across routes linking Lewes with Brighton, Haywards Heath, Eastbourne and Seaford.
Travellers were advised to avoid the affected area while emergency crews and investigators continued working at the scene.
Rail Network Faces Extended Disruption
The scale of the derailment means passengers across parts of East Sussex face significant delays and cancelled services while the damaged train is dealt with and investigators establish what happened.
Rail operators are expected to keep passengers updated as the situation develops, while the investigation will focus on determining why the Southern service left the tracks and whether any underlying infrastructure issue contributed to the crash.
