Lewes rail line to reopen in September as work under way to remove train
The railway line near Lewes, East Sussex, where a Southern train derailed on 13 August, will reopen on 1 September. Recovery crews are using cranes to remove the derailed carriages under what Network Rail described as "very challenging circumstances," with the timeline aimed at restoring services before the end of the school summer holidays.
Three carriages at the rear of the train came off the tracks, injuring 30 people, 20 of whom were taken to hospital, including two with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. An initial Rail Accident Investigation Branch report identified a track defect, likely linked to buckling caused by extreme heat, as the train derailed on the hottest day of the year so far, with air temperatures around 27C. The line between Lewes and Haywards Heath remains shut while teams recover the train and preserve evidence, with officials citing the site's proximity to the River Ouse and local ecology as complicating factors.
- Lewes-Haywards Heath line to reopen 1 September after derailment
- 13 August derailment injured 30 people, two seriously
- Investigators point to heat-related track defect as likely cause
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Lewes is in East Sussex, on a railway route linking the town with Haywards Heath. Southern runs passenger trains on the line, while Network Rail maintains the track and coordinates major work on the railway.
On 13 August, three carriages at the back of a Southern train left the tracks near Lewes, and 30 people were injured. An initial investigation pointed to a defect in the track, possibly caused by heat, and the site’s position near the River Ouse and local wildlife areas has added to the challenges of recovering the train and examining the scene.
The closure affects train services between Lewes and Haywards Heath. Investigators are examining what happened, while railway teams must remove the carriages and repair the line before trains can run again.