Derailment at Churnet Valley railway

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

No idea which loco was involved, but services unlikely to start before Wednesday.

https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2026/0...-o80uM8ugOgpfzr_y__aem_hwKUZu4i5Ce1CVbYurOldA

The Churnet Valley Railway has released a statement after a train derailed this morning.

The incident happened at around 09:40 this morning (18th April 2026) and involved a non-passenger carrying train at Cheddleton station.

Thankfully, no injuries were sustained during the incident.

The Churnet Valley Railway are working with the Office of Rail and Road and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.



The railway says that this is the first incident like this since they began operating in 1966.

Recovery is underway to remove the locomotive and coach affected.

The locomotive involved is a new locomotive to the railway’s fleet, but the CVR says it would be inappropriate to speculate on what the cause was.

All services have been suspended as a result of the derailment and this will continue into Sunday.

A full service is expected from the 22nd April, subject to safety and recovery work being completed in time.

At approximately 09:40 this morning, a non-passenger-carrying train movement consisting of empty coaching stock departing Cheddleton Station derailed.

No injuries were reported or sustained as a result of the incident.

We are working closely with the relevant authorities, including the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) and the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), and are fully cooperating with them. A response team from CVR was immediately dispatched and recovery operations are currently underway to safely rerail and remove the affected locomotive and coach.

The railway has proudly operated heritage steam and diesel services since 1996, and this is the first incident of this nature in our history. We are committed to understanding exactly what has occurred and will continue to support all investigative efforts. While the locomotive involved is new to our fleet, it has undergone extensive testing prior to entering service, and it would be inappropriate to speculate on the cause at this stage.

As a result of the derailment, services will remain suspended through Saturday and into Sunday.

We currently expect to resume normal services on Wednesday 22 April, subject to the completion of recovery work and safety checks.

We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.

CVR Spokesperson

 

[08221]

3278 on an ECS working. Loco was running tender first.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

A picture on Facebook shows a loco running tender first with the tender part in the ballast and part on the rails, the loco (701) apparently on the rails (partly obscured by white vans and orange men) then a coach 'Diana' with the first bogie in the ballast. Everything upright.

Separately a video clip by 'Duncan Hurst'. Taken from a different angle the loco appears to be part in the ballast too.

 

[Western Gaffer]

A picture on Facebook shows a loco running tender first with the tender part in the ballast and part on the rails, the loco (701) apparently on the rails (partly obscured by white vans and orange men) then a coach 'Diana' with the first bogie in the ballast.

It was only a matter of time before Donald Trump turned up!

 

[westcoaster]

This just appeared on my YouTube to watch

Looks expensive. Not my video just posted..

 

[Belperpete]

A picture on Facebook shows a loco running tender first with the tender part in the ballast and part on the rails, the loco (701) apparently on the rails (partly obscured by white vans and orange men) then a coach 'Diana' with the first bogie in the ballast. Everything upright.

Separately a video clip by 'Duncan Hurst'. Taken from a different angle the loco appears to be part in the ballast too.

S160 derailment
Those pictures look bad. The loco crew were lucky to be uninjured, as the loco's cab appears to have been rammed into the tender. The loco appears to be derailed all driving wheels, and the tender appears to have been lifted/sheered off it's front bogie, which is dug firmly in the ballast.

 

[Llanigraham]

Looking at that video, it looks like:
one bogie of the coach in the kitty litter,
all the driving wheels of the loco likewise,
leading bogie of the tender likewise,
trailing bogie of the tender off and disconnected.
That is going to be fun to recover.
The RAIB report should make interesting reading.

 

[158760]

The Foxfield Railway have really gone above and beyond to help Churnet after this, with Churnet tickets holders travelling for free at Foxfield and materials to help fix the track being supplied by their P-way team to Churnet.

 

[DarloRich]

wow - that is impressive - it seems lucky no one was hurt. Is that one set of wheels pulled off the tender?

 

[Grumpy Git]

The entire back bogie of the tender is detached from it's host.

 

[Belperpete]

wow - that is impressive - it seems lucky no one was hurt. Is that one set of wheels pulled off the tender?

It looks like one of not both bogies pulled off the tender.

It looks to me like the leading bogie of the tender derailed into the ballast, forcing the tender to suddenly stop and the loco to ram into it, the shock also derailing the following coach. As you say, lucky that the loco crew in particular weren't hurt, caught in the space between the loco and tender.

 

[Forty29]

The Foxfield Railway have really gone above and beyond to help Churnet after this, with Churnet tickets holders travelling for free at Foxfield and materials to help fix the track being supplied by their P-way team to Churnet.

Quodos to The Foxfield Railway.

 

[leezer3]

It looks like one of not both bogies pulled off the tender.

It looks to me like the leading bogie of the tender derailed into the ballast, forcing the tender to suddenly stop and the loco to ram into it, the shock also derailing the following coach. As you say, lucky that the loco crew in particular weren't hurt, caught in the space between the loco and tender.

Looks that way to me too.
I'd speculate that the bogie derailed first and the force of impact has just lifted the tender off + over the pivot, hence why its detached and in the ballast. The bogie itself is of pretty lightweight construction, and probably mostly relies on the mass of the tender + contents to hold it on the pivot. (*not* like a model, there's probably only a small-ish clevis type pin to retain it, not support it)

Everything else is just as a side-effect of stopping suddenly, and it probably looks a bunch worse than it is as the bogie has detached.

 

[43096]

No-one seems to have noticed the irony of this derailment at the Churnet Valley being within days of 47292’s naming at the very same railway to celebrate 175 years of HMRI.

 

[Jamesrob637]

No-one seems to have noticed the irony of this derailment at the Churnet Valley being within days of 47292’s naming at the very same railway to celebrate 175 years of HMRI.

47292 looks superb though. Hopefully it won't derail.