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Derailed train line 'unlikely' to reopen this weekend

Neve Gordon-Farleigh
News imageStephen Huntley/BBC A close-up image of a Greater Anglia railway carriage. Its wheels have left the track and are resting in stones in between the metal lines. The carriage is upright, but at a slight angle.Stephen Huntley/BBC
On Saturday, investigators were waiting to gather evidence on-site before the train could be removed

Railway services will continue to be disrupted over the weekend following extensive infrastructure damage after a passenger train derailed in Essex.

More than 60 people were travelling on a Greater Anglia Service from Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street when it came off the tracks in Wickford at about 14:12 BST on Friday.

It happened less than 24 hours after a Southern Rail train carrying 150 people derailed near Lewes in East Sussex on Thursday.

Greater Anglia has warned passengers that at this stage it was "unlikely" the route would be reopened over the weekend and the disruption could continue into next week.

News imagePA Media A large emergency personnel presence on a road parallel to the railway line. There are police vehicles, fire appliances and ambulances parked on the side of the road. Some emergency personnel are walking up the road or standing outside vehicles. Two ambulance workers are walking towards the camera, one wearing a hi-vis fluorescent jacket and the other carrying items in her arms. PA Media
According to investigators and the East of England Ambulance Service no injuries were reported

The train left Rayleigh at 14:06, but failed to reach Wickford as planned at 14:11.

One passenger told the BBC the train "swung wildly for around 10 seconds" and smoke entered the rear carriage.

An air ambulance landed close to the scene as a precaution alongside police, firefighters and paramedics. However, no-one was injured, according to investigators and the East of England Ambulance Service.

A second train was also evacuated after it was unable to continue its journey.

News imageRichard Knights/BBC A Greater Anglia train that derailed at Wickford in Essex. The train has stopped and there is damage to part of the carriage. A British Transport Police officer is standing by the train with their back to the camera.Richard Knights/BBC
The driver's cabin has been damaged during the derailment
News imagePA Media A photograph of the Greater Anglia train with part of the train off the track at Wickford in Essex. The train has been stopped and is not moving. Around 10 or more people are wearing orange fluorescent hi-vis with white helmets and are stood on the tracks to the right of the train.PA Media
Greater Anglia said it was working "around the clock" to resume normal rail services as soon as possible

Greater Anglia said the derailment was the subject of an investigation and a Network Rail response team is on site carrying out a full investigation and assessing the condition of the route.

On Friday, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch said it had deployed a team of inspectors to the site to begin gathering evidence.

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News imageStephen Huntley/BBC Part of a road closed off. Blue and white striped tape acts as a cordon and there are road and footway closure signs propped up on the ground. A Network Rail response unit van is parked outside of the cordon.Stephen Huntley/BBC
On Saturday morning, the train was yet to be recovered from Wickford and surrounding roads were closed, including part of Salcott Crescent

The incident has affected routes between London Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria, Wickford and Southminster, and on the London-Braintree route.

Services between Shenfield and Southend Victoria have been amended and shuttle trains will operate between Liverpool Street and Billericay and between Southend Victoria and Hockley.

Rail replacement buses will also be operating between Billericay and Hockley and between Wickford and Southminster.

Services between London Liverpool Street and Braintree have been cancelled due to trains and crew usually being sourced from Southend. However, services on the branch line between Witham and Braintree are running as normal.

Services between London and Hertford East, Stansted Airport, Clacton-on-Sea, Cambridge, Ipswich and Norwich are running as normal.

The train provider said: "Response teams are working around the clock and doing everything possible to safely restore the lines and resume normal train services as soon as possible."

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