Second UK train derails in under 24 hours

{"text":[[{"start":7.95,"text":"A second passenger train has derailed in the UK, less than a day after an incident in East Sussex that injured 20 people."}],[{"start":15.05,"text":"Pictures on social media on Friday afternoon showed a Greater Anglia Aventra train having come off the track and crashed into an overhead wire support, though it remained upright."}],[{"start":25.950000000000003,"text":"British Transport Police said its officers were “on scene just south of Wickford railway station in Essex following reports that the rear carriages of a train have derailed in an upright position at 2.12pm today”."}],[{"start":39.45,"text":"It added: “We’re responding alongside paramedics and the fire service. There are currently no reported injuries.”"}],[{"start":45.95,"text":"The incident marks the second major derailment in the space of 24 hours, after Thursday’s incident in East Sussex. Both happened during a week of soaring temperatures in the UK. "}],[{"start":56.800000000000004,"text":"Network Rail had previously warned that hot weather can lead to track buckling, although no official cause has been given for either crash."}],[{"start":63.95,"text":"The Department for Transport said on Friday that the UK’s railways “remain amongst the safest in the world and while incidents like this are extremely rare, when they do occur, they are taken very seriously”."}],[{"start":77.10000000000001,"text":"Just before 4pm on Thursday afternoon, the last three carriages of a Southern Railway service from London Victoria to Eastbourne derailed and overturned just before reaching Lewes station from Haywards Heath. "}],[{"start":91.35000000000001,"text":"British Transport Police said two people were seriously injured and another 18 suffered less serious injuries in the crash."}],[{"start":99.05000000000001,"text":"Engineers had undertaken a safety inspection in the area less than 24 hours before the incident, according to the company operating the affected train."}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":108.75000000000001,"text":"In a post on X at 5.46pm on Wednesday, Southern Railway said: “A safety inspection of the track is taking place between Lewes and Haywards Heath.” It warned of potential delays through the 11-mile section of track."}],[{"start":123.05000000000001,"text":"Inspections that disrupt services are undertaken only when there is reason to believe a fault might represent a safety risk."}],[{"start":130.60000000000002,"text":"The safety inspection would have been undertaken by staff from Network Rail, the rail infrastructure owner. "}],[{"start":137.45000000000002,"text":"It declined to comment on Friday about Wednesday’s inspection, the state of track in the area or whether it was revising its safety protocols in light of Thursday’s incident, which took place amid extremely hot weather in south-east England."}],[{"start":151.85000000000002,"text":"“Accidents of this nature are incredibly rare, and the rail industry is incredibly safe,” John Whitehurst, chief executive of Southern Railway’s owner Greater Thameslink Railway, told the BBC earlier on Thursday. "}],[{"start":165.95000000000002,"text":"“We have very robust inspection processes in place,” he added. “I previously worked for Network Rail and I know they are incredibly thorough.”"}],[{"start":174.15,"text":"While inspectors from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch have been at the crash site, there has been no official statement about the cause of the crash. The organisation said on Friday that it would provide an update on its investigation next week. "}],[{"start":188.55,"text":"Pictures from the scene showed significant buckling of the track in the area, although it was not clear whether that caused the derailment or was a result of it."}],[{"start":196.85000000000002,"text":"Thursday was the hottest day so far of this summer’s heatwave in the UK and temperatures in the area of the crash were well over 35C. On Friday, the temperature in Wickford was 31C. Track temperatures can reach around 20C higher than the air temperature in direct sunlight."}],[{"start":214.55,"text":"In very hot conditions such as these, welded rail track can buckle and cause derailments. Track that appears in good condition can deform suddenly under the weight of a train. "}],[{"start":225.95000000000002,"text":"At least two other safety inspections were undertaken on track on the UK rail network on Friday morning. Chiltern Railways announced around 8.30am that engineers were undertaking a safety inspection of track between Leamington Spa and Banbury."}],[{"start":241.25000000000003,"text":"TransPennine Express announced at 9.45am that safety inspections were being undertaken between York and Scarborough. Both lines subsequently reopened."}],[{"start":252.10000000000002,"text":"The UK rail network generally copes with the threat of rail buckling by imposing speed restrictions to reduce stress on affected track, by closing affected sections and mitigation measures such as painting track white to make it reflect heat."}],[{"start":265.6,"text":"A passenger train derailed in June 2009 near Cummersdale in Cumbria after hitting a section of buckled track. No one was injured in that incident, which an investigation attributed to maintenance and communication errors."}],[{"start":286.3,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1786724147_4132.mp3"}