‘Swung wildly’: Second UK train derails in as many days amid heatwave

A second train has derailed near London one day after a similar accident on major railway lines near the British capital, amid soaring heat and concerns about safety.

Two carriages on the train from Southend to London left the tracks as the train came to a halt in a plume of dust and smoke, with witnesses reporting a crash that shook nearby shops.

Ambulance officials said all 62 passengers were taken from the train safely at the town of Wickford, east of London, with no casualties among those on board.

The accident followed the derailment of a similar train at Lewes on a journey from London to Eastbourne, south of the capital, the previous day. This left two passengers seriously injured, and nine others also injured.

The two incidents are yet to be investigated, and officials cautioned against speculating about their causes, although one engineering expert has said welded rails might buckle if they were unable to expand in the heat.

Temperatures soared to 38 degrees in London on Thursday, the day of the first accident, and reached 34 degrees on Friday, when the second train derailed.

Passengers on the first train reported it “sliding” across the tracks before some of the carriages left the line, tipped over and ended in a field alongside the line. Photographs from the accident showed passengers standing in carriages that had rolled on their side.

The second train, operated by Greater Anglia with 10 carriages, came to a halt shortly after 2pm on Friday afternoon (soon after 11pm on Friday, AEST). The carriages remained upright.

One passenger told the BBC that everybody on the train appeared to be safe.

“The train swung wildly for around 10 seconds, like it was about to tilt over,” said Jon Young, 37.

“It then carried on going for a couple of minutes, but there was a horrible vibrating sound, so something obviously wasn’t right.

“Then the train came to a halt and there was smoke coming from the back carriage.”

Photographs from the scene showed two helicopters landing near the train, apparently ready to rush passengers to hospital if necessary.

The East England Ambulance Service said it dispatched a significant number of resources, including its hazardous response team and critical care specialists from charity partners.

“Our crews assessed 62 patients who were on board the train. Following assessment, all patients were discharged at scene,” it said.

“We also assisted with the evacuation of a second train that was unable to continue its journey due to the derailment. There were no casualties among those on board.”

Network Rail, the public agency responsible for the railway lines, said it was investigating both incidents.

The agency’s group safety and engineering director, Martin Frobisher, said he appreciated the concern about two derailments over two days, but said the British network was among the safest in the world.

“The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is conducting an investigation into the derailment at Lewes, and has investigators on scene at the Wickford incident,” he said.

“We would ask people to avoid speculating on the cause of any incidents until further information is available.

“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.”

Some experts suggested the heat could have played a role in the accident at Lewes.

William Powrie, a professor of geotechnical engineering at the University of Southampton, told London’s Telegraph that continuously welded rails could buckle if they were unable to expand in hot weather, and the hard, dry ground could also cause track deformities

“Therefore, this incident could be hot weather related, but the exact causal chain of events needs to be established through proper and thorough investigation,” Powrie said.

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