Summary

  • Emergency services are responding after a London-bound train carrying up to 45 passengers derailed in Wickford, Essex

  • British Transport Police says "the rear carriages of a train derailed in an upright position" at 14:12 BST, adding there are no reported injuries - its statement in full

  • "The office rattled and sort of shook," says business owner Danielle Belton who works close to where the train derailed

  • National Rail says major disruption is expected "until further notice"

  • It comes a day after a separate train derailment in Lewes, Sussex - the cause of that incident is still being investigated

  • Responding to the derailment, the Department for Transport says Britain's railways are "amongst the safest in the world"

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Live Reporting

Edited by James Hore, with Alex Stevanovic at the scene in Wickford and Lewis Adams writing

  1. What we know so far

    Railworkers and police stand next to a partially derailed train in Wickford, EssexPA Media

    A Greater Anglia passenger train has derailed in Essex, the second such incident in the UK in two days. Here's what we know so far:

    • British Transport Police says they have received reports that the rear carriages of the train derailed in an upright position at 14:12 BST in Wickford
    • It is a Southend to Liverpool Street train, which left Rayleigh at 14:06 but failed to reach Wickford at 14:11 as planned
    • About 40 to 45 passengers were on board the London-bound train, Basildon Borough Council says
    • No major injuries have been reported, but air ambulances have been seen landing in an open space near the location of the derailment, while railway workers, paramedics and police are also responding
    • All services between Southend Victoria and London Liverpool Street have been cancelled, National Rail says, while services between Wickford and Southminster are also affected
    A map showing the location of the train derailment near Wickford, with the locations of train stops Rayleigh, Southend Airport and Southend Victoria also labelled.

  2. Britain's railways 'among the safest in the world' - Department for Transport

    The Department for Transport has stressed Britain's railways are "among the safest in the world" as it reacts to today's incident.

    "The train is upright, there are no reported injuries and investigators have already been deployed to the site," it says.

    "Our railways remain amongst the safest in the world and while incidents like this are extremely rare, when they do occur, they are taken very seriously."

  3. Business owner's office 'shook' when train derailed

    With brown hair tied back and large black glasses wearing a black v-neck top. She is standing outside a light bricked building in a car park that is out of focus.

    Danielle Belton runs a business on an industrial estate near to where the train derailed.

    She says the noise was so loud it shook her office.

    "We're used to hearing the trains go past all the time, but we heard what sounded like a crash," says Belton, who is a Conservative councillor in neighbouring Rochford.

    "There was a big, loud noise and then the unit rattled and sort of shook.

    “All the girls in my office, we all kind of went, 'blimey, what was that?'. You felt the office rattle and you heard the loud noise."

  4. Bushes blocking the scene of the derailment from onlookers

    Alex Stevanovic
    Reporting from Wickford

    "There are residents out in the road just looking at the train, says the BBC's Alex Stevanovic.

    "Emergency services are also here, including plenty of police cars and ambulances.

    "The train is behind a row of bushes so you can't quite see it properly from this spot in Salcott Crescent," he adds.

  5. Council leader thanks emergency crews at the scene

    We've heard from Andy Barnes, the Conservative leader of Basildon Borough Council - in whose authority area Wickford is based.

    "I would like to thank all of the emergency services who are currently responding to this incident," he says.

    "Our thoughts are with everyone affected, and we sincerely hope that all those involved are safe and well."

  6. Pictures show ambulance at the scene

    Alex Stevanovic, a BBC reporter at the scene in Salcott Crescent, has sent these images.

    They show railway workers, paramedics and police all responding to the derailment.

    Railway workers in hi-vis, police officers and an ambulance all in a residential road in Wickford. The railway line is pictured out of shot behind some trees to the left.Alex Stevanovic/BBC
    Police cars and an ambulance parked in a residential road. A crowd of people have gathered to watch.Alex Stevanovic/BBC
  7. BBC Verify

    What we know about the train derailment in Essex

    An image of a derailed train that has come off the tracks next to a fence in Essex..

    By James Kelly and Richard Irvine-Brown

    BBC Verify is analysing images from a train derailment in Essex.

    Images show a Greater Anglia train with at least one carriage that has come off the rails in Wickford, Essex.

    The derailment happened near an overhead walkway between Salcott Crescent and Russell Gardens, 1km (0.7 miles) east of Wickford station.

    Images also show air ambulances landing in an open space a further 800m to the east, near Meresa Crescent.

    Data from the website OpenTrainTimes shows the train was a Southend to Liverpool Street train, which left Rayleigh at 14:06 but failed to reach Wickford at 14:11 as planned.

    The images above and below this post have been verified.

    An image of a derailed train that has come off the tracks next to a fence in Essex - image taken at a side angle..

  8. Up to 45 passengers were on board the London-bound train

    There were about 40 to 45 passengers onboard the train, Basildon Borough Council says.

    It was travelling from Southend towards London and "no major injuries have been reported", according to the local authority.

    "Council officers are also at the scene and are liaising with partner agencies," a spokesman says.

    "The council is in contact with emergency services and other partners and is providing support as required."

    They add that an air ambulance landed at the scene as a precaution.

  9. Air ambulances land in nearby field

    Images show air ambulance crews landing in a field near the derailed train in Wickford, Essex.

    British Transport Police said earlier there were no reported injuries.

    Stay with us for the latest updates.

    Helicopters in a field in Essex.No credit
    Helicopter flying over a house in Wickford, Essex.No credit

  11. 'I was shocked', says eyewitness

    Anna Johnson
    BBC East

    An eyewitness tells me people were "in shock" at the scene of the derailment.

    He says groups of people have already gathered in the area in response.

    "A couple of people were in shock," the man says, speaking anonymously.

    "No one was off the train when I was there - the train was just off the track.

    "I was quite shocked. It's not something you see every day, or you hear about often - especially on the UK railway."

    As a reminder, a train also derailed near Lewes, East Sussex, yesterday.

  12. Major disruption will continue 'until further notice'

    Network Rail is now saying that major disruption is expected to continue "until further notice".

    Earlier it had said delays would continue until 18:00 BST.

    We'll continue bringing updates - including when services may resume - as this incident unfolds.

  13. Rail accident investigators deployed to Wickford

    Inspectors from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) have been sent to Wickford.

    "RAIB has deployed a team of inspectors to the site of a passenger train derailment at Wickford, Essex to begin gathering evidence," the organisation says on X.

  14. Services to Southminster also affected

    Services between Wickford and Southminster, which is on a different line to London Liverpool Street, are also affected.

    National Rail says the situation is "under investigation" and all services between Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria will be cancelled.

    "Major disruption is expected to continue until further notice," it repeats.

  15. No rail replacement buses running, says Greater Anglia

    Train operator Greater Anglia is urging passengers on the affected route not to travel until further notice.

    But asked by one user on X if rail replacement buses will be running, it says there is no such plan at present.

  16. Second day in a row of train derailments in England

    Today's derailment is the second where a train has come off the tracks in two days, after yesterday's incident near Lewes in East Sussex.

    Two people were seriously injured in that incident, but are not in a life-threatening condition, police have confirmed.

    You can find out more about that developing story on our colleagues' live page here.

  17. Rear carriages have derailed, BTP says

    British Transport Police tell us its officers are attending with both paramedics and the fire service.

    "Officers are currently on scene just south of Wickford railway station in Essex following reports that the rear carriages of a train have derailed in an upright position at 2.12pm today.

    "We’re responding alongside paramedics and the fire service. There are currently no reported injuries."

  18. Picture shows train off the tracks, but upright

    We can now bring you a picture from the scene near Wickford in Essex.

    The train has come off the railway tracks but remains upright.

    Nobody has reported being injured at this stage, the British Transport Police says.

    More from them shortly.

    A white train with yellow and red livery off the tracks, but still upright.Toon Gambit/X

  19. Train has derailed, Network Rail confirms
    Breaking

    Network Rail has just confirmed to us that a train has derailed.

    "We are dealing with a derailment incident in Anglia, [region] and we are working quickly to understand the situation and to provide assistance where needed," a spokesperson says.

    "We will provide further information in due course.”

  20. British Transport Police responding to incident

    Katy Austin
    Transport correspondent

    I understand British Transport Police are responding to reports of a partially derailed train in Essex.