Track engineers carried out a safety inspection on the line 24 hours before a train derailed and injured more than 20 people. Three carriages of a Southern Rail service from London Victoria to Eastbourne came off the track just before 4pm on Thursday, August 13, close to Lewes station.
The cause of the crash on the line between Lewes and Haywards Heath has not yet been established. Train company Southern said in an X post on Wednesday evening that a safety inspection of the track was taking place between Lewes and Haywards Heath. Just under 24 hours later, Southern said on X that a train had derailed 'in the area between Haywards Heath and Lewes.'
Inspection timing questioned
It has not been confirmed whether the section of track inspected on Wednesday was the same piece of railway where Thursday’s derailment happened. Images from above the scene appeared to show parts of the track that had buckled.
A local resident at the scene said he had seen a long and heavy freight train pass through the same section of track earlier in the day. Speaking at the scene, a local resident called Mike described seeing a large freight train pass over the same section of track today. He said: 'I was going fishing this morning. I crossed over the track on a bridge, when a cargo train went through with about 20 carriages on it. It must have had 20 tonnes on each carriage. That’s not going to do the railway line any good is it?'
Impact and ongoing investigation
The derailment caused significant disruption to services on the line, with passengers trapped and two people severely injured, according to earlier reports. Emergency services responded to the scene, and the injured were taken to hospital.
The incident has raised questions about the effectiveness of routine track inspections, especially given the proximity of the inspection to the derailment. However, investigators have not yet determined whether the inspection covered the exact location of the accident.
Southern Rail has not provided further details on the inspection or the derailment, and the investigation into the cause is ongoing. The rail line between Lewes and Haywards Heath remains closed while engineers assess the damage and begin repairs.
