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Published 3 days ago • loading... • Updated 3 days ago
Derailed Essex train leads to travel chaos
Nearly 100 services were cancelled and 62 passengers were treated at the scene as investigators examined the derailment.
On Friday, a Greater Anglia passenger train derailed near Wickford after departing Rayleigh, with two rear carriages leaving the tracks and causing extensive infrastructure damage that blocked railway lines.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch and Network Rail are investigating whether the region's extreme 33C heat contributed to the derailment, which occurred one day after a similar incident in Lewes.
Emergency crews treated 62 passengers at the scene with no casualties reported; passenger Jon Young told the BBC the train "swung wildly for around 10 seconds" before stopping.
Nearly 150 trains were cancelled, forcing commuters to rely on rail replacement buses and alternative routes including c2c services and London Underground lines while response teams restore the tracks.
Network Rail warned that major disruption will likely continue into next week as crews perform extensive infrastructure repairs, advising passengers to check for updates before traveling this weekend.