Transport Secretary 'deeply concerned' about derailment

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has said on social media that she is "deeply concerned" of reports of the derailment, which took place at about 15:55 BST.

She added: "Grateful to emergency services who are on the scene supporting those impacted. We are working quickly with the rail industry and local partners to assist passengers."


Picure - Laura Arnold / X

British Transport Police statement in full

Here's the full statement from the British Transport Police on the train derailment near Lewes:

"Officers are currently on scene close to Lewes railway station following reports of a derailed train at 3.54pm today (13 August).
"We’re responding alongside paramedics and the fire service and will provide more information as soon as we can."

Video taken at the scene by passengers, strongly suggests that buckled track was to blame.
source is BBC news.

Given the heatwave conditions, there'll be a lot of people on other trains need looking after too.

Mark

A major incident was declared following a train derailing near Lewes in East Sussex shortly before 16:00 BST yesterday.

Emergency services said about 150 people were on board the train, with two people sustaining serious injuries and a further 18 with less serious injuries. All of the passengers were evacuated from the train.

Photos from the site showed emergency workers around the train on its side in a field next to the tracks, with one passenger saying it "felt like a car crash" and another saying the train derailed from carriage five.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) deployed a team of inspectors to the site.

Southern Railway has issued advice to passengers hoping to travel in the area today.

Trains are unable to run between Lewes and Haywards Heath, so those travelling to or from Cooksbridge, Plumpton, Hastings or Ore have been told their journey is likely to take longer than usual.

Rail replacement buses are running between Haywards Heath and Lewes, calling at Cooksbridge and Plumpton, and those travelling in the area are being told to allow at least an extra 60 minutes of journey time for their trip.

People travelling towards Eastbourne or Hastings today will also need to change trains at Brighton, with extra carriages being added on services between Brighton and Hastings, and Brighton and Seaford.

Tickets will be accepted at no extra cost on Southern services between Brighton and London Victoria, Thameslink services between Brighton and London Bridge, Gatwick Express services between Brighton and London Victoria, on the London Underground between London terminals, and on Southeastern services between Hastings and London terminals.

Rail tickets will also be accepted on Brighton and Hove Buses’ 28, 29, 29B, and 29X routes, which run between Brighton and Eastbourne, and Brighton and Tunbridge Wells in Kent.

A safety inspection of the track between Lewes and Eastbourne means that all lines are closed.

As a result, trains are unable to operate between these stations.

This is expected until the end of the day.

Customer advice:

No trains can run between Lewes and Eastbourne until further notice. You will need to use an alternative route to reach your destination.

You should allow at least an additional 60 minutes to complete your journey today.

Please talk to station staff, look at the information boards or check your journey planner for the most recent information.

How are Southern changing their service?

While this disruption is ongoing, Southern will be making the following changes to services:
Trains that normally run between Ore and Brighton will now run between Ore and Eastbourne.
Trains that normally run between Eastbourne and Brighton will now terminate at Polegate and restart back to Brighton.

An excursion returning to Derby from Eastbourne traversed the westbound track at about 17:35; seemingly, the only train to run on this line for quite some time.

This train was very popular with holiday makers heading for the south coast in the 1920s and 30s. It was a direct service from the north avoiding the inconvenience of crossing London. Starting at Manchester at 10.40 a.m. and Liverpool at 10.35 a.m., the two sections joined at Crewe and then headed south. At Willesden a locomotive from the Southern took over the train and then proceeded to skirt through west London on its way to Brighton, Eastbourne, Bexhill and Hastings.

Just wondering if passengers if going south(and North)
will be advised to travel to Brighton then onto Lewes as opposed to using the bus replacement service/s?

Customer advice:

The railway between Haywards Heath and Lewes will remain closed until at least Wednesday 26 August, and the closure is likely to continue beyond this date while the major train recovery operation continues following the derailment on Thursday 13 August.

Southern know this will be frustrating and disruptive, particularly for customers who rely on this route for work and other important journeys. They are very sorry for the continued impact and uncertainty, and will keep providing clear updates as the recovery progresses.

Today's travel advice:
Rail replacement buses are running between Haywards Heath and Lewes, calling at:
* Cooksbridge
* Plumpton
Extra carriages have also been added to services between Brighton and Eastbourne, providing more space on board for customers travelling along the route.

There are no direct trains from London to Eastbourne or Hastings. If you’re travelling from London, you’ll need to change your journey:
For Eastbourne, travel via Brighton and change there for an onward train
For Plumpton, Cooksbridge or Lewes, use the rail replacement bus from Haywards Heath
For Hastings, travel via Brighton to Eastbourne, then continue your journey from there

Please note that following a landslip between Polegate and Eastbourne, a speed restriction will be in place between these stations. This means journeys will take longer than normal, as trains have to run at a reduced speed.

Please allow at least 60 minutes of additional journey time and check your journey before setting off, as journeys will take longer than usual.

Update from Lewes - Sunday 16th August

Work is underway on the complex operation to recover the derailed train near Lewes and repair the railway safely.

We're fully focused on supporting customers while this work takes place: we're providing alternative travel options, keeping customers updated, and working closely with Network Rail to reopen the route as soon as it is safe to do so. We currently expect this to be at least 26th August.

If you're travelling between London or Gatwick Airport and Lewes or Eastbourne, you should take the first train to Brighton and change there for a connecting service, as direct trains won't operate. You should allow extra time for your journey, and your tickets will also be accepted on Thameslink and Gatwick Express trains. You can also use them on London Underground if you need to use Blackfriars or London Bridge instead of Victoria.

If you're travelling to or from Plumpton or Cooksbridge, you'll need to use a replacement bus to or from Haywards Heath or Lewes. You should allow extra time for your journey.

We know many people rely on this railway every day and we're grateful to them and the local community in Lewes for their continued patience and understanding.

Minister visits derailment site amid funding plea

The rail minister has visited the site of a derailment in East Sussex amid calls for more investment in transport in the South East.

Rail Minister Lord Hendy met Lewes MP James MacCleary and senior representatives from Network Rail, Greater Thameslink Railway, British Transport Police and contractors following the derailment near Lewes.

Twenty people were injured when three carriages on the 14:24 BST Southern service from London Victoria to Eastbourne left the tracks at Landport on Thursday.

MacCleary said while he could not pre-empt the investigation, concerns about infrastructure must be considered. Lord Hendy said regulators ensured Network Rail had enough money to maintain the railway.

[snip]

After meeting Lord Hendy, MacCleary said the South East had been overlooked "for too long" when it comes to transport investment.

"Despite repeated calls for greater support, the region has missed out in recent budget decisions," he said. "I hope this incident serves as a turning point."

Lord Hendy said funding was spread across the UK, adding: "I certainly don't think there's any cause to suppose that any particular part of the nation is disadvantaged by that."

[snip]

The RAIB is expected to give initial findings this week.

At around 15:54 on the 13th August 2026, 1F34, the 14:24 Southern service from London Victoria to Eastbourne, derailed around 1 mile north of Lewes station.

The service was formed of eight carriages, and the rear three vehicles derailed and overturned, coming to rest on their side on an embankment.

150 people were on the train when the derailment happened. 30 people were injured in the accident; 20 of those required hospital treatment, some with serious injuries.

The first RAIB inspectors arrived on site at 19:11 to secure evidence alongside the British Transport Police.

The RAIB has downloaded the On-Train Data Recorder and is currently analysing this alongside CCTV recordings and signalling data.

This accident took place on the Down Lewes line, where the maximum speed for a train is 70mph. The two Class 387 units on 1F34 were coupled together and were travelling at around 65mph as it approached the point of derailment.

Initial analysis shows that the driver applied the brakes at the point of derailment, and the train began to slow down.

Marks on the rail near the point of derailment are consistent with the wheels of the derailed carriages climbing over the rails.

CCTV images from 1F34 and other services show that track geometry irregularity existed on the approach to the derailment.

The RAIB says that there is also evidence of previous track maintenance activity in the area.

Several reports of rough riding in the area were also received by the RAIB following the accident.

The embankment that the railway runs on is constructed of clay and alluvial/alluvium deposits, both of which the RAIB says are sensitive to variations in the water content.

However, the RAIB says that there is no evidence to indicate that an embankment slip occurred before the accident – although it does say that there is evidence of some previous movement.

The investigation is continuing to look at
the exact mechanism by which train 1F34 derailed
the status of the track at this location and how it was inspected and maintained
the condition of the embankment, including the presence of any coincident risk factors (such as sustained hot weather, nearby structures, and vegetation), and how it was inspected and maintained
the weather conditions in the area on the day of the accident, and in the weeks and months preceding it
the effectiveness of any mitigation measures intended to address the risks of operating trains in hot weather
the condition of train 1F34 and the crashworthiness performance of the rear three vehicles of the train during the derailment
the emergency response to the accident
any relevant underlying factors, including any actions taken in response to previous relevant safety recommendations.
The RAIB have released the site back to Network Rail to allow for repairs to take place and the train to be recovery.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/derailment-of-a-passenger-train-at-lewes

I noted - and comment made elsewhere - that the front 4 carriages of the train (which did not derail) were in the new GBR livery. Whilst we must wait for the RAIB there is no suggestion, nor ongoing research planned according to their initial reports, that the paint job on the train was anything to do with the accident.   However, does it now "mark" this unit as being "one of the ones involved at Lewes" and might we anticipate a further repaint to avoid passengers on future journeys being aware of this part of its history?