Network Rail has issued the following statement regarding the derailments in Lewes on Thursday 13 August and near Wickford on Friday 14 August.
Martin Frobisher, Group Safety & Engineering Director at Network Rail, said: “We are currently responding to a derailment incident near Wickford station in Essex, and we are working quickly to understand the situation and to provide assistance where needed. Two carriages have derailed but remained fully upright, and there are no significant injuries reported.
“I appreciate the public will be concerned at the news of two derailments of passenger trains over a short period of time, but I want to reassure them that Britain’s railways still rank among the safest in the world, and that safety is always our first consideration on the railway.
“Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by yesterday's significant incident at Lewes. I want to thank the teams from across the rail industry and emergency services who have been working around the clock to provide assistance and support to those who need it, as well as the response from the local community.
"The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is conducting an investigation into the derailment at Lewes, and has investigators on scene at the Wickford incident. We would ask people to avoid speculating on the cause of any incidents until further information is available. We will also conduct our own internal investigations, in which we will look at all possible causes and factors.
“The unprecedented hot and dry weather that we have experienced this summer has presented exceptional challenges to the railway. In response, we have taken several additional proactive steps to manage and mitigate the impact on the railway, including closely monitoring the temperature of tracks, implementing speed restrictions where it is appropriate to do so, and planning track renewals around high temperatures.
“Our continued focus remains on supporting those affected by these incidents, working at pace to understand the causes, and doing all we can to get services back running safely as quickly as possible.”
Notes to Editors
On international comparisons, Britain remains one of the safest railways in Europe and the world. The Office of Rail and Road’s Common Safety Indicators rank Great Britain:
Top 10 in Europe for passenger safety risk (fatalities and weighted serious injuries per passenger train-km):
https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/53gnbh44/common-safety-indicators-2024.pdf
1st overall in Europe for whole-system rail safety risk (covering passengers, staff, level crossings, trespass and wider societal harm):
https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/53gnbh44/common-safety-indicators-2024.pdf
The investigation will look at all relevant inspections and reports to rail industry from customers.
Reports of bumpy journeys are not uncommon on the railway and they are always followed up with an inspection.
Network Rail is fully cooperating with the Rail Accident Investigation Branch's investigations and it would not be appropriate to speculate whilst those processes are ongoing.
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