Lewes derailment - Thursday 13th August

[trainmania100]

Aren't they DOO with On Board Supervisors ?

Personally I don't know what the difference is. Lewes has a big curve on platform 1 and 2 and definitely has on board staff to dispatch it

 

[ATS3]

RAIB is deploying a team of inspectors to the site of a passenger train derailment near to Lewes, East Sussex, to begin gathering evidence.

ITV News Meridian

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has confirmed it is sending teams to the site of a derailment in Lewes. Live updates:...

www.facebook.com

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has confirmed it is sending teams to the site of a derailment in Lewes.

 

[Signal Head]

I was on the train half an hour before this one and there was a massive jolt between Cooksbridge and Lewes, easily the worst one I've ever felt. I'd have assumed the driver reported it but judging by what's happened, it doesn't seem that way.

Possibly the defect (buckle?) happened under the train you were on, so the front end passed through without incident and the driver was unaware of any issues? Happened at Tattenhall Junction (Chester) in 1971, buckle occured in the middle of a ten coach train at 70mph, causing two fatalities.

 

[AlterEgo]

Personally I don't know what the difference is. Lewes has a big curve on platform 1 and 2 and definitely has on board staff to dispatch it

A guard is a safety critical member of staff without which the train cannot operate.

 

[AvidTrainGuy]

The BBC have verified this image showing the buckled track.

 

[martin butler]

Thank goodness that injuries seem light, especially when you compare other derailments in the past.

At least it's not closed the line completely; services can still run via Brighton, then run back down to Lewes via direct route. Most likely Ore services will start/terminate from Eastbourne, with London Victoria passengers changing at Brighton.

 

[Haywain]

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.

 

[TRAX]

A guard is a safety critical member of staff without which the train cannot operate.

Unless the train is in DOO territory (or most of the rest of Europe) in which case it can.

 

[SECR 65]

Aren't they DOO with On Board Supervisors ?

This is correct. Almost all Southern services are DOO with OBS.

 

[aaronspence]

Couple inside photos here, apart from broken windows it looks alright.

Sussex News - Breaking news for Sussex (@SussexIncidents) on X

Images shared with Sussex News from inside the derailed train Near Lewes Credit unknown as sent anonymously

x.com

Photo shows passengers standing on the sides of chairs on a carriage thats on its side, one of the windows has smashed from contact with the ground.

 

[jcrwey]

I travelled on this route one Saturday and the movement/shifts in the carriage and rough ride in this area was a talking point between our group. Worst we had experienced on a railway.

 

[Meole]

Could the buckle be exacerbated by the train derailment though, this appears too extreme to have happened since the previous service .

 

[thomalex]

Some of the carriages were GBR branded it seems

 

[king_walnut]

Personally I don't know what the difference is. Lewes has a big curve on platform 1 and 2 and definitely has on board staff to dispatch it

Southern driver here. I sign all routes through Lewes. I definitely handle the entire dispatch procedure at all platforms at Lewes.

 

[w0033944]

Nasty. Hopefully RAIB can determine whether rail distortion is cause or effect.

 

[williamn]

I live in Lewes so regularly travel over the line and can’t say I’ve noticed bad riding.

 

[scottishtrains]

Some of the carriages were GBR branded it seems

Yes, the front half (1st train) was GBR branded

 

[SECR 65]

Some of the carriages were GBR branded it seems

The leading unit - 387172 - carries GBR dark blue livery.
The trailing unit was a 387/3, which carries (C2C?) all over white with blue doors.

 

[norbitonflyer]

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

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

 

[physics34]

Could the buckle be exacerbated by the train derailment though, this appears too extreme to have happened since the previous service .

Thats my thought. If the front of the train went over that it would definately have been derailed aswell. I would say the embankment gave way under the train

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

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.

Sone really poor reporting as usual

 

[Intercity_225]

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

To be honest, I thought the evacuation of passengers was fast, considering how much slower it normally is..

 

[357]

The trailing unit was a 387/3, which carries (C2C?) all over white with blue doors.

It is Porterbrook livery, not c2c livery

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

 

[Mcv378]

I was on the train half an hour before this one and there was a massive jolt between Cooksbridge and Lewes, easily the worst one I've ever felt. I'd have assumed the driver reported it but judging by what's happened, it doesn't seem that way.

Did you text 61016?

 

[aaronspence]

To be honest, I thought the evacuation of passengers was fast, considering how much slower it normally is..

I agree, Based on the last timing report on RTT and the first photos on Twitter showing rescuers, you're looking at less than 30 mins, but we have no idea how long that photo was taken before being posted or how long the rescuers had been there for at that point so probably less.

 

[6Gman]

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.

If true, that would be rather ... surprising!

 

[renegademaster]

Seems to be a bit of a meltdown in GTRland at the moment with "cancelled due to safety inspections on the track".

 

[357]

If true, that would be rather ... surprising!

Given the quality of that publication when I have read it, I am not at all surprised!

 

[ox_chap]

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?

 

[GHansen]

It may be in the public interest to cover but I would imagine it is not in the interests of anyone who works on the railway that people start fearing rail travel, cancelling plans, and so on, which is what I think broadcasting these horrific scenes achieves.

I'm sure that certain media outlets will be more than happy to accompany their footage with "are railways unsafe? would this have happened with automation? should you drive to work instead?", etc etc. Classic fear mongering, especially in light of the Bedford collision.

I think this explains why in this thread, people are trying to lessen the severity of this incident, perhaps they have an interest in people continuing to use the railways

You don't need to worry. The Railtrack years didn't scare passengers away, and those times were much worse than anything happening recently. Railway accidents have always made the news, sometimes more than perhaps necessary, and railway staff and supporters have always lamented that fact. L. T. C. Rolt even talks about it in the introduction to Red for Danger, published over 70 years ago. Some things never change.

 

[Intercity_225]

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?

Would there not be a feeling of coaches further behind derailing in the driver's cab? Isn't that what happened in the Potters Bar derailment?