Lewes train derailment latest: 11 injured as three carriages tip over in east Sussex with ‘major incident’ declared

Fire engines, ambulances and police have been stationed along Landport Road in Lewes, East Sussex, where a community centre is hosting passengers from the derailed train.

Yana Ludwig, who was travelling alone on the train from London to Lewes, told reporters the experience as “completely terrifying”.

“There was a banging. Everything just went topsy turvy,” the 56-year-old from the United States said.

“It seemed like a really long time but it probably was 10 seconds of that before the carriage actually fell on the side.”

She described being propped up over the top of another passenger.

She added: “I’m pretty banged up.”

The graduate student thinks it was 20 minutes before the emergency services arrived, adding it seemed like a difficult place for them to reach.

She said everyone in the train was checking their fellow passengers were OK, adding: “These moments everybody kind of pulls together.”

Police have confirmed that at least two people have sustained serious injuries and a further nine patients have sustained less serious injuries.

Patients have been assessed and treated at the scene, with some transported to local hospitals, British Transport Police have said.

A major incident has been declared after three carriages of the train derailed onto their side, leaving a number of people trapped. They have now been safely evacuated, British Transport Police has said.

Officers are continuing to respond to a train derailment close to Lewes station in Sussex, following reports around 3.44pm on Thursday.

At this time, the police believe that two people have sustained serious injuries and a further nine patients have sustained less serious injuries. Patients have been assessed and treated at the scene, with some transported to local hospitals.

Officers are continuing to respond at the scene alongside colleagues from Sussex Police and the local Fire and Rescue and Ambulance Services.

The incident involved a Southern train travelling from London Victoria to Eastbourne.

Assistant chief constable Ian Drummond-Smith said: “We’ve declared a major incident and a significant emergency service response is ongoing at the scene, but all passengers on the train have now been safely evacuated from the service.

“Our thoughts are of course with everyone affected, and I’d like to reassure the public that we’re supporting the Rail Accident Investigation Branch to establish exactly what’s happened. We’ll provide further information as soon as we are able”.

Travellers hoping to reach Gatwick Airport have been advised to add at least an extra 150 minutes to their journey to ensure they meet flight connections.

It comes after Southern Rail advised travellers to add 90 minutes hours ago.

Major disruption from the Lewes derailment is expected to continue until at least the end of the day today, Southern Rail has said.

Earlier this evening they said disruption would last until 10pm.

“Southern are advising that you do not travel.

“If you are already on a train, your journey will take longer than usual.

“No trains can run between Lewes and Haywards Heath.

“Trains between Brighton, Lewes and Eastbourne / Seaford are mostly cancelled.

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

Tracks can “buckle” when the steel rails expand and start to curve in the heat.

Rails in direct sunlight can be up to 20C hotter than the air temperature, according to Network Rail.

While most of the network can operate when track temperatures reach up to 46C, roughly equivalent to an air temperature of around 30C, rails have been recorded at temperatures as high as 51C.

It remains unclear whether the bends in the track are from buckling or from where the train was derailed for other reasons. RAIB is currently investigating the matter.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has deployed a team to the scene of the derailment to begin gathering evidence.

A passenger who was on board the derailed train has said as he managed to exit the train, he saw a number of people injured.

“There were a number of people sat in ambulances that had had bad head injuries, and there was visible signs of blood on their heads and, you know, down their clothing.”

The Department for Transport told the BBC there are no serious injuries or fatalities.

A passenger who managed to exit the derailed train has said the carriage “jumped vertically upwards” as it derailed.

Speaking to the BBC, the man said: “We felt the train speeding up and starting to rock, and at that point we knew something was very strange, and then our carriage actually jumped vertically upwards, and we could tell there was a derailment.”

“The emergency brakes then went on the train and everything got thrown forward, and only then when we turned around did we see that the whole back of the train, literally where we were sat, was open.

“There was smoke and dust pouring into the carriage, and we could then see that the outside fifth carriage had gone on its side, and I just assumed there’d been a decoupling further up the track where we were, you know, a train detachment.

“But actually the three other carriages that we started with had slid all the way down the embankment on their side into the lower field, and there were a number of air ambulances that flew in to support critically injured people.”

As photos appear to show a bend in the tracks where the derailment took place, many people are looking to understand what could have caused them to bend.

Railway engineer Gareth Dennis has told The Independent that “The damage here is as likely to be caused by the train as it derailed down the embankment, so very difficult to confirm a buckle with the available evidence.”

The Independent has contacted Network Rail to understand more about the bend in the tracks.