Railway line on course to reopen after train derailment

A railway line in East Sussex damaged after a train derailed that left 30 people injured is on course to reopen next week, Network Rail has said.

A defect was found on railway tracks near Lewes following the derailment on August 13, a report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) found.

Engineers have since removed the derailed carriages, rebuilt the embankment, installed replacement track and repositioned signalling equipment.

More than 80% of the work has been completed, with engineers confident of reopening the line on Tuesday, Network Rail said.

Louise Greaves, infrastructure director for Network Rail, said: "This has been a complex and challenging recovery operation, but we are making strong progress towards our goal of reopening the railway for customers on Tuesday.

"With the heavy infrastructure work being well on the way to completion, we can then focus our efforts on the final testing we need to do to reopen the railway safely."

More than 5,000 hours of work has been carried out by teams from Network Rail, Govia Thameslink Railway and their contractors, Greaves said.

Specialist cranes have been deployed to recover the derailed train carriages, with teams removing damaged track and ballast before repairs could begin.

Extensive testing and safety checks are also under way in preparation for the line to reopen.

In total, 1,640ft (500m) of track will be renewed, with 850 sleepers replaced across a section of embankment 524ft (160m) long.

A continuing RAIB investigation will consider how the defected section of track was inspected and maintained, the condition and maintenance of the embankment, the weather conditions and how effective any hot weather mitigation measures were.

The eight-carriage Southern service from London Victoria to Eastbourne was travelling at 65mph when it derailed, the report said.

Emergency services evacuated all 150 passengers from the derailed carriages.

Injured passengers were assessed and treated at the scene, with two people sustaining serious injuries.

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and listen to BBC Radio Sussex on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk, or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.