A Southern train came off the tracks near Lewes, East Sussex, shortly before 16:00 BST, prompting the closure of several rail routes in the area. Network Rail confirmed the derailment, and British Transport Police said officers were at the scene close to Lewes station alongside paramedics and fire crews.
Emergency services urged the public to avoid the immediate area while the response was under way. Passengers travelling by rail through the region were advised to allow up to 60 minutes of extra journey time while the incident was dealt with.
What caused the wider disruption?
According to a national broadcaster's report, the broader problems across the network stemmed from a fault with the electric third rail in the Brighton area, which blocked some lines between Brighton and Preston Park. Southern told passengers on affected routes to allow at least 30 minutes of extra time for their journeys, and said Gatwick Express services were running only between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria, with passengers able to use Thameslink trains from Brighton at no extra cost.
Has this happened before this week?
The Lewes derailment came in the same week as a separate derailment at Selhurst in south-east London, which had already caused major knock-on disruption across Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services, according to a national broadcaster's report. Train operator GTR said 134 trains were left out of position overnight following that incident, raising the risk of further delays to the Thursday morning commute.
What happens next?
Network Rail apologised to customers and said engineers had been working on site since the early hours to fix the third rail fault, per a national broadcaster's report. Services in East and West Sussex were subsequently reported to have returned to normal, with Southern saying the fault had been resolved and services restored by around midday or shortly after, depending on the route. Southern also said travel should return to normal by 15:00 BST following a separate signalling fault affecting routes between Littlehampton, Worthing and Horsham.
Key Facts
- A Southern train derailed near Lewes, East Sussex, just before 16:00 BST.
- British Transport Police, paramedics and fire crews responded at the scene near Lewes station.
- Passengers were advised to allow up to 60 minutes of extra travel time.
- A separate third rail fault near Brighton also disrupted services between Brighton and Preston Park.
- Southern reported services returning to normal by around midday, with full recovery expected by 15:00 BST.
