A Greater Anglia train has derailed near Wickford railway station, forcing the suspension of services between Southend Victoria and Shenfield and prompting a major emergency services response.
Passengers are being told not to travel on the route until further notice after the rear carriages of the train came off the tracks shortly after 2pm on Friday, August 14.
British Transport Police said the derailment happened at around 2.12pm south of Wickford station. The affected carriages have remained upright and, at the time of writing, no injuries have been reported.
Paramedics, firefighters and British Transport Police officers are at the scene, while air ambulance helicopters have also been seen landing in the area.
The East of England Ambulance Service said: “We have sent a large number of resources to an incident on the railway in Wickford alongside British Transport Police and other emergency services. Please only call 999 in a life-threatening emergency.”
The incident has brought services on the Southend Victoria line to a halt, with Greater Anglia issuing a “do not travel” warning for passengers travelling between Shenfield and Southend Victoria.
A Greater Anglia spokesperson said: “Please do not travel between Shenfield and Southend Victoria until further notice.
“Ticket restrictions for today have been lifted, and tickets dated for today (14/08/2026) will be valid tomorrow (15/08/2026).”
The derailment is the second involving a passenger train in south-east England in less than 24 hours.
On Thursday afternoon, a Southern train travelling from London Victoria towards Eastbourne derailed near Lewes in East Sussex. Around 150 people were on board and three carriages overturned. Eleven people were injured, including two who suffered serious injuries.
The incidents come during a period of exceptionally hot weather, which can present additional challenges for railway infrastructure. Steel rails expand as temperatures rise and, in extreme circumstances, can buckle. However, the cause of either derailment has not yet been confirmed.
Network Rail, which is responsible for maintaining Britain’s railway infrastructure, says track maintenance takes place on a daily basis. Its systems include specialist machinery to maintain the ballast and geometry of the track, treatment of rail surfaces and measurement equipment fitted to trains to identify potential rail defects.
During hot weather, Network Rail also carries out seasonal measures designed to reduce the risk of track problems. This includes painting some rails white to reduce the amount of heat they absorb and lower the risk of expansion causing buckling.
Investigations will now be needed to establish exactly why the Greater Anglia train left the rails at Wickford. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) is likely to examine the derailment. Its investigators can inspect the train, track and other evidence to establish what happened and decide whether a full investigation is required. RAIB investigations focus on identifying safety lessons rather than blame.
The disruption is expected to have a significant impact on passengers travelling between Southend and London for the coming days, with the Southend Victoria route suspended between Shenfield and Southend Victoria until further notice.
Passengers intending to travel are being advised to check the latest information before starting their journey.