Sussex railway closed ‘for at least another ten days’ after derailment

The railway between Lewes and Haywards Heath will remain closed “for at least another ten days” after the train derailment that seriously injured two passengers.

A Southern train derailed near Lewes, East Sussex, on Thursday.

British Transport Police said on Friday that two people who sustained serious injuries were not deemed to be in a life-threatening condition and 18 other passengers had been discharged from hospital.

The Rail Accident and Investigation Branch (RAIB) completed its work at the site on Saturday and has now handed it back to Network Rail while its investigation continues.

Network Rail and Southern Rail said three carriages “derailed and slid part-way down the embankment” and that these will “need to be carefully lifted away by crane”.

They said the location makes this “particularly difficult” as the railway is close to a river, in a site of special scientific interest, and restricted road access was via a residential area.

Once the train has been removed, engineers will be able to assess the damage to the railway and “understand the scale of the repair work needed before services can resume safely”.

A statement from Network Rail and Southern Rail on Sunday said: “The railway between Lewes and Haywards Heath will remain closed for at least another ten days while teams recover the derailed train and begin repairs to the railway.

“Customers travelling next week, and in the weeks ahead, are advised to check before they travel and, where possible, use alternative train services via Brighton.

“Rail replacement buses will run between Lewes and Haywards Heath, serving Cooksbridge and Plumpton. These buses have limited capacity, so customers travelling to other stations should travel via Brighton instead.”

They said tickets would be accepted on relevant alternative Southern, Thameslink and Southeastern services as well as Brighton & Hove Buses and London Underground services between London terminal stations.

John Whitehurst, chief executive of Greater Thameslink Railway (GTR), which operates Southern Railway, said: “We recognise the impact this incident will have on customers’ journeys in the days ahead, and we’re working closely with Network Rail to do everything we can to keep customers moving while recovery work continues and the railway is restored safely.

“We know this recovery effort is not only affecting rail customers, but also local communities around Lewes, and I’d like to thank them for their patience and understanding while our teams work to restore the railway.”