Derailment at Wickford - Friday 14th August 2026

[sad1e]

Nothing to suggest so far 1K50 was involved in any other way apart from making the emergency call to report 2K71 has derailed.

Pretty sure 1K50 isn't involved as I've been sent an image of the view of the derailment from 1K50 and it doesn't look like a collision has taken place as 1K50 is quite a distance from the derailment.
(Photo attached showing a view of the derailment from 1K50)

 

[Toby3875]

720566 most likely stopped due to the OHLE Being knocked

 

[Amos390]

I noticed in the article it says rear carriages plural. Does this mean there is more than 1 carriage off the rails or is that just a mistake?

 

[Intercity_225]

I noticed in the article it says rear carriages plural. Does this mean there is more than 1 carriage off the rails or is that just a mistake?

Looking at the images above, it seems like that's just a mistake.

 

[Toby3875]

I noticed in the article it says rear carriages plural. Does this mean there is more than 1 carriage off the rails or is that just a mistake?

It looks like it is a mistake from the photos.

Edit: sorry didn’t see the post above

 

[Amos390]

Line Blocks just been placed in both directions at Wickford P2 and P3 and Rayleigh P1 and P2

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Aug 2026 ==

Looking at the images above, it seems like that's just a mistake.

It looks like it is a mistake from the photos.

Edit: sorry didn’t see the post above

Ah ok thanks

 

[Deepgreen]

In my opinion it's more likely they stopped and RECed it, and/or got showered in ballast smashing the windscreen as they passed. Thankfully it went down the embankment not into the six foot.

Not sure I understand - no other train was anywhere near on the same track, and the following one could not just 'overtake' on the other track to cuadee any ballast to fly up. The derailed coach hasn't gone down an embankment; it is virtually upright on the ten foot.

 

[ainsworth74]

Not sure I understand - no other train was anywhere near on the same track, and the following one could not just 'overtake' on the other track to cuadee any ballast to fly up. The derailed coach hasn't gone down an embankment; it is virtually upright on the ten foot.

Surely it's not "overtaking" it was just passing the incident train going the other way? In which case you'd likely stop immediately as you've got no idea why the train you've just passed has come off the track.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

720566 most likely stopped due to the OHLE Being knocked

Its incumbent on any driver passing a situation like to bring their train to stand and contact the signaller

 

[Peterperfect]

The site

 

[develop331]

View attachment 209540
Pretty sure 1K50 isn't involved as I've been sent an image of the view of the derailment from 1K50 and it doesn't look like a collision has taken place as 1K50 is quite a distance from the derailment.
(Photo attached showing a view of the derailment from 1K50)

This will have been after the train had passed it though. How else would 1K50 have made a REC reporting that the other train had failed? It could be possible that the gangway was sticking out due to the initial derailment, and 1K50 struck that and pushed it away as it passed.. RAIB will tell us eventually

 

[Elecman]

Not sure I understand - no other train was anywhere near on the same track, and the following one could not just 'overtake' on the other track to cuadee any ballast to fly up. The derailed coach hasn't gone down an embankment; it is virtually upright on the ten foot.

It’s in the Cess not the Ten Foot ? Indeed there is no Ten foot at that location

 

[aaronspence]

Sky will be live over the scene shortly here:

Hopefully not upset the media haters too much, but it does give us more information these types of things.

 

[milooo]

Sky will be live over the scene shortly here:

Hopefully not upset the media haters too much, but it does give us more information these types of things.

Video is not available

 

[Deepgreen]

Surely it's not "overtaking" it was just passing the incident train going the other way? In which case you'd likely stop immediately as you've got no idea why the train you've just passed has come off the track.

Sorry - I thought the reference was to the following 1K50, which stopped several hundred metres behind.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Aug 2026 ==

It’s in the Cess not the Ten Foot ? Indeed there is no Ten foot at that location

I had understood that these were the definitions - four foot - between the rails, six foot - between adjacent tracks, ten foot - between the track and the edge of the pway/formation. I may have been wrong all these years, though, which is good to know!

 

[develop331]

Sorry - I thought the reference was to the following 1K50, which stopped several hundred metres behind.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Aug 2026 ==


I had understood that these were the definitions - four foot - between the rails, six foot - between adjacent tracks, ten foot - between the track and the edge of the pway/formation. I may have been wrong all these years, though, which is good to know!

Ten foot is between two sets of double track rail where there is a large distance between them, but could be less than or more than 10 feet. What you were thinking of is the cess, which is on the outside of the rails

 

[800001]

Surely it's not "overtaking" it was just passing the incident train going the other way? In which case you'd likely stop immediately as you've got no idea why the train you've just passed has come off the track.

The train in opposite direction would stop because of either a) OHL power knocked out, b) because the incident train makes an emergency call on the gsmr-radio which brings all trains with a certain distance to a halt.

 

[Amos390]

There did appear to be an air ambulance on site (callsign HLE07) operated by Essex & Herts Air Ambulance that's come from Cambirdge area, however that's now taken off and appears to be going North somewhat (not sure where to though). There is also a media helicopter (callsign LHC11) with Sky hovering over the area now.

Edit: Helicopter is now broadcasting, footage can be found here: https://news.sky.com/story/police-fire-service-and-paramedics-on-scene-as-train-derails-13571690

 

[810013]

news helicopter has now left the scene

 

[Amos390]

Observations from the video footage from sky, and it'a mostly good news. No damage on the left side of the train to indicate whether 1K50 struck it, so looks like 1K50 was just passing, and also the rear of the train (the derailed part) seems to be situated right next to an access point which is useful.

The air ambulance also didn't seem to be needed thankfully, has gone back to an airfield now and not to a hospital which is good.

 

[aaronspence]

Observations from the video footage from sky, and it'a mostly good news. No damage on the left side of the train to indicate whether 1K50 struck it, so looks like 1K50 was just passing, and also the rear of the train (the derailed part) seems to be situated right next to an access point which is useful.

Yes it didn’t look too bad, bigger issue might be the bent overhead line girder

 

[Toby3875]

Essex & Herts Air Ambulance looks to be coming back now and the sky helicopter has left after circling a few times.

 

[Intellectual98]

Sorry - I thought the reference was to the following 1K50, which stopped several hundred metres behind.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Aug 2026 ==


I had understood that these were the definitions - four foot - between the rails, six foot - between adjacent tracks, ten foot - between the track and the edge of the pway/formation. I may have been wrong all these years, though, which is good to know!

It passed on the opposite track going the other way according to signal maps.

As for the definition of ten foot, that's the middle bit of 4 track layout.

 

[Deepgreen]

Ten foot is between two sets of double track rail where there is a large distance between them, but could be less than or more than 10 feet. What you were thinking of is the cess, which is on the outside of the rails

Well, I have had a mis-apprehension corrected - thanks! An interesting thing that occurs to me is that there is/was a graffiti vandal who tags '10 foot' - I has assumed it referred to him/her being between the edge of the formation (i.e. wall or fence) and the first track.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Yes it didn’t look too bad, bigger issue might be the bent overhead line girder

They can shore that up with a temp support and the train should be relatively easy to rerail with jacks just have to wait to see whether RAIB want to fully investigate or just see it as a more routine incident.

 

[Trainguy34]

I wonder if they'll potentially get soil samples from the site to see if there's any trends considering this is the third one within 24 hours!

 

[ainsworth74]

I think discussion as to whether we're now seeing a trend with derailments might be better in a separate thread to avoid burdening this one with a discussion that will need to draw on multiple different incidents. People are more than welcome and indeed encouraged(!) to start a new thread to have that discussion

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

I wonder if they'll potentially get soil samples from the site to see if there's any trends considering this is the third one within 24 hours!

It looks like a recent renewal site or an area thats received heavy fettlling so that maybe a contributory factor.

 

[starlight73]

RAIB posted on X almost a hour ago to say they have sent inspectors to the site. Judging from the post re the Lewes derailment, they will decide whether it’s a full investigation later

RAIB has deployed a team of inspectors to the site of a passenger train derailment at Wickford, Essex to begin gathering evidence #Wickford #Essex

RAIB (@raibgovuk) on X

RAIB has deployed a team of inspectors to the site of a passenger train derailment at Wickford, Essex to begin gathering evidence #Wickford #Essex

x.com

 

[Toby3875]

Sky helicopter has circled over one of the Hornchurch national park which was affected by the recent wildfires and is now going to Gatwick by the looks of it