Rail investigators find track defect on approach to site of Lewes derailment, initial report says
Rail investigators have identified a track defect near Lewes following a train derailment that injured 30 people. The report suggests that extreme heat and moisture sensitivity in the embankment may have contributed to the track irregularity.
Why it matters
The incident raises concerns about infrastructure maintenance and the impact of climate change on transport safety.
Image source, BBC / Oliver Whitfield-Miocic Image caption, Recovery work is continuing after a train left the tracks near Lewes
A defect was found on railway tracks in East Sussex at the site where a train derailed leaving 30 injured, a report says.
Initial findings from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) found an "irregularity" with the tracks near Lewes where three carriages tumbled down an embankment last Thursday.
The RAIB, which is continuing to investigate the derailment, said it had received "several reports of rough riding at the location of the derailment from passengers on other trains".
Network Rail and Greater Thameslink Railway, whose Southern Rail train was involved in the crash, said in a joint statement they were "sorry this happened on our railway".
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