Lewes derailment - Thursday 13th August

[Rail2002]

BBC reporting from a passenger that there was an early announcement that the front four coaches heard, something along the words of "Sorry we've stopped, I'll get back when I have more information".

I guess a driver might initially be unaware of a derailment further down the train. That must raise issues with whether to press the "stop all trains" button?

I'm not suggesting anything was done wrong. Presumably, if the emergency brakes come on, you might just think the air pipes have simply leaked?

The brakes will apply if the connection is broken e.g. if a train becomes detached unexpectedly.

 

[NSEWonderer]

BBC reporting from a passenger that there was an early announcement that the front four coaches heard, something along the words of "Sorry we've stopped, I'll get back when I have more information".

I guess a driver might initially be unaware of a derailment further down the train. That must raise issues with whether to press the "stop all trains" button?

I'm not suggesting anything was done wrong. Presumably, if the emergency brakes come on, you might just think the air pipes have simply leaked?

Considering the front unit seems relatively intact and on the rails it's possible for it to have escape ld the carnage behind it as the rails deformed.

A snapped main res pipe or abnormal condition that the TMS identifies would yes indeed put the emergency brakes on.

 

[SECR 65]

The area is relatively near to civilisation, so some form of response should have been available quickly. There is a fire station in Barcombe, and police in Lewes.

 

[rmHawk765]

Did the train prior have a guard or 2nd staff member? Did they not feel the jolt and report it to the driver?

 

[800301]

BBC reporting from a passenger that there was an early announcement that the front four coaches heard, something along the words of "Sorry we've stopped, I'll get back when I have more information".

I guess a driver might initially be unaware of a derailment further down the train. That must raise issues with whether to press the "stop all trains" button?

I'm not suggesting anything was done wrong. Presumably, if the emergency brakes come on, you might just think the air pipes have simply leaked?

Well unless the driver looks out their cab window, there isn’t a TCMS fault for “Train Derailed” but I’m sure there would be faults showing to indicate something is wrong. Yes it might be hard to believe that a driver isn’t aware their train has derailed but you feel so much from the front it really doesn’t surprise me

 

[Annetts key]

The BBC have verified this image showing the buckled track.

The photos posted earlier (post #7) show that there is another significant buckle further back than the obvious one in this photo.

Any track damage after the point where the derailment started may be damage caused by the train to the track. It looks from the vegetation in the cess, that it may have been as much as hundreds of metres/yards beyond the point of the first derailment before the train stopped.

So I'm not sure the damage to the track seen in the photos that are currently circulating can be assumed to be damage caused by the hot weather causing rail / track buckling.

RAIB will want to carefully examine the track leading up to the point of derailment and view the video if there was a working forward facing camera.

 

[chiltern trev]

Do these units have any forward looking cameras?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

If the two 387s are both 4-car units, and only the rear three cars derailed/overturned, the rear unit must have split/parted between the first and second car.
Have I got that right?

 

[Haywain]

The area is relatively near to civilisation, so some form of response should have been available quickly. There is a fire station in Barcombe, and police in Lewes.

It's not necessarily that easy to get lineside access.

 

[SECR 65]

Did the train prior have a guard or 2nd staff member? Did they not feel the jolt and report it to the driver?

The train ahead will have carried a driver and an on board supervisor, just like almost all Southern trains (with exceptions which are irrelevant for this thread).

 

[GEC465]

Do these units have any forward looking cameras?

every train afaik has them on the mainline now

 

[rmHawk765]

The train ahead will have carried a driver and an on board supervisor, just like almost all Southern trains (with exceptions which are irrelevant for this thread).

Seems odd to me then that (seemingly) nothing was reported, but we best wait for the RAIB, I will admit there are many variables here - we don't know for sure the issue wasn't reported.

 

[357]

A snapped main res pipe or abnormal condition that the TMS identifies would yes indeed put the emergency brakes on.

In my experience of Electrostars, including 387s, the fault message is "Loss of configuration" and makes out it's a TMS fault rather than a division.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Aug 2026 ==

every train afaik has them on the mainline now

Nope - all new stock does, but there are trains from the 2000s that don't.

 

[BRX]

Seems odd to me then that (seemingly) nothing was reported, but we best wait for the RAIB, I will admit there are many variables here - we don't know for sure the issue wasn't reported.

We also don't even know for sure if anything unusual was felt on the previous train.

 

[aleggatta]

In my experience of Electrostars, including 387s, the fault message is "Loss of configuration" and makes out it's a TMS fault rather than a division.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Aug 2026 ==


Nope - all new stock does, but there are trains from the 2000s that don't.

387s have forward facing and pan cam cctv

 

[Dave W]

BBC reporting from a passenger that there was an early announcement that the front four coaches heard, something along the words of "Sorry we've stopped, I'll get back when I have more information".

I guess a driver might initially be unaware of a derailment further down the train. That must raise issues with whether to press the "stop all trains" button?

I'm not suggesting anything was done wrong. Presumably, if the emergency brakes come on, you might just think the air pipes have simply leaked?

They may have been digesting what might have happened and taken a view that reassuring passengers was the best option whilst the situation emerged.

 

[rmHawk765]

He may have been digesting what might have happened and taken a view that reassuring passengers was the best option whilst the situation emerged.

Telling passengers half of your train has derailed in panic is certainly not the way to go either.

 

[2HAP]

A photo on the BBC News story shows that the fifth carriage bears the number 42434. Does that help identify the unit involved?

 

[Class15]

A photo on the BBC News story shows that the fifth carriage bears the number 42434. Does that help identify the unit involved?

It’s 387304, as posted upthread.

 

[357]

387s have forward facing and pan cam cctv

I know - I signed them - my post was in reply to the assumption that all trains do

 

[aleggatta]

I know - I signed them - my post was in reply to the assumption that all trains do

Whilst trying not to get off topic, it’s not an unreasonable assumption given how many fleets have been retrofitted

 

[Morgsie]

Pleased to hear no fatalities.

Thank you to all the emergency service personnel involved and thoughts caught up in this.

 

[43096]

The DfT have said there's no major injuries or fatalities.

South East Ambulance Service are saying "two people sustained serious injuries". As per BBC live feed: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cly5252xqdvt

South East Coast Ambulance Service says there were about 150 people on board the train when it derailed near Lewes.

A spokesperson said: "We can confirm that two patients have sustained serious injuries and a further nine patients have sustained less serious injuries.

"Patients have been assessed and treated at the scene, with some transported to local hospitals for further treatment and care.

"A number of passengers who did not require hospital treatment have been taken to a local community centre, where they are being supported by partner agencies."

It added that it continues to respond to the major incident alongside other emergency services and urged people to avoid the area.

 

[Welshguy1048]

.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Plenty of videos on YouTube suggest otherwise. You may be mistaken by the 387/1 fleet ?

Mea culpa

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Aug 2026 ==

It is Porterbrook livery, not c2c livery

c2c had National Express blue doors, the 387s had Porterbrook Blue

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Aug 2026 ==


I drove 387s for c2c, including the unit that is now largely on it's side.

Mea culpa

 

[357]

Whilst trying not to get off topic, it’s not an unreasonable assumption given how many fleets have been retrofitted

I understand that, but my point still stands that there are a good number without

 

[ox_chap]

Telling passengers half of your train has derailed in panic is certainly not the way to go either.

I am sure the driver was totally professional and did a fantastic job.

What I’m getting at is are there circumstances where, at the front, you might not realise an emergency stop is caused by a derailment at the back. That could matter if the rear coaches were fouling an adjacent line - so speed hitting the “trains all stop” button is key.

I’m only a passenger, but the professionalism of railway staff always amaze me, and that of course really matters when things go seriously wrong.

 

[Intercity_225]

Would the driver have felt the derailment from their cab?

 

[Paul AC]

BBC interviewd a passenger at length who was very clear, and sugfested part if the delay in evacuation was becayse of the electrified tracks.

Then interviewed the Industry editor of RAIL, who said he didnt think the libe was electrified. He may not know the network well, but surely he can recognise an ELECTROstar, one of the commonest types on the network.

The conductor rail - intact in places and displaced in others - is clearly visible in all the early photos (including that in post #95), making the type of unit rather irrelevant.

 

[CalderRail]

BBC interviewd a passenger at length who was very clear, and sugfested part if the delay in evacuation was becayse of the electrified tracks.

Then interviewed the Industry editor of RAIL, who said he didnt think the libe was electrified. He may not know the network well, but surely he can recognise an ELECTROstar, one of the commonest types on the network.

When I watched that I thought he was saying that the line's electric wasn't live by that point; IOW that the power had been cut (presumably after an All Trains Stop was done). I don't live down south but ISTR that's standard procedure?