Planning for derailed train recovery under way

Plans to remove a damaged train that derailed near Lewes are getting under way after investigators completed their examination of the scene.

Three carriages of a Southern passenger service left the tracks in Lewes on Thursday, leaving two people with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. A further 18 people were taken to hospital following the incident.

The railway between Lewes and Haywards Heath remains closed, with Southern warning that disruption will continue “until further notice”.

Lucy McAuliffe, Network Rail’s route director for Sussex, said the site had now been formally handed back to the organisation following the completion of the Rail Accident Investigation Branch’s (RAIB) work.

“This allows us to start the next phase of this recovery operation,” she said.

“Engineers, operations teams and industry partners are working together to keep the site safe and plan the next phase.”

The immediate priorities are to remove the derailed carriages, inspect any damage to railway infrastructure and restore services as quickly and safely as possible.

Network Rail said further information about the recovery operation would be provided in due course.

The RAIB has not yet published details of its investigation into what caused the derailment.

The incident happened at around 15:44 BST on Thursday, 13 August, as the Eastbourne-bound Southern service approached Lewes from London Victoria.

Around 150 passengers were on board the 14:24 service from London Victoria to Eastbourne when the train derailed.

Emergency services attended the scene and helped evacuate all passengers from the train.