Bloodied passengers describe horror being thrown from seats as train derailed & flipped at speed – with 20 hospitalised
DOZENS of passengers were left injured after a train flipped onto its side – with many fearing they “might die” in the horror derailment.
Disaster struck the 2.24pm service from London Victoria to Eastbourne when it came off the tracks near Lewes, East Sussex, yesterday at around 3.45pm – on one of the hottest days of the year.
The rear three carriages left the track and rolled onto their sides, trapping around 40 of the 150 passengers, with one sliding partially down the embankment.
Twenty people in total went to the hospital for treatment, including two who suffered serious injuries and were sent to a major trauma centre.
Terrifying pictures from the scene showed the carriages lying on their sides, with passengers standing on top of the train as they were helped to safety.
Eighteen people were taken by ambulance, while a further two made their own way, as temperatures climbed to heights of 38C in London.
One bloodied passenger described the moment everything went “topsy-turvy” as the train suddenly picked up speed and rolled over.
Susan Lees told The Sun: “I’m just happy to be alive and that there were no fatalities on the train. Some people were injured quite badly I understand, we’ve all been looked after so wonderfully.”
Susan said she had only just managed to board the service before it made its way towards Lewes.
She added: “Then we were just approaching Lewes and all of a sudden I saw what I thought was smoke out of the far window.
“I thought the fields were alight. And then suddenly the train picked up enormous speed and I could feel it was leaning on two wheels.
“The next thing we crashed and the whole thing rolled over.
“I don’t know whether we were at the top of an incline and we could slide down further but I was very happy when we were down in the ditch at the bottom.
“I’ve got very very painful ribs. I was sitting on the side that hit the ground so that’s lucky. I didn’t go flying through the air from the other side.”
Another passenger told how the train had been wobbling before it suddenly careered off the track.
Nathan Cole, 30, told The Sun: “I was at the very back carriage. Even before it derailed it wobbled and I saw a woman kind of grab onto her seat. I’m even a bit worried myself.
“Then after I heard the suspension go into full force. The train carried on going, and then within a minute, it’s done it again, and then it’s just gone straight off the track.
“I’m facing backwards, I’m travelling backwards, but the window is to my right side.
“One woman almost fell on me. The woman who was holding onto the chair, when the train came to a stop I had to pick her up because she couldn’t really move.
“At that time, I didn’t really feel any pain. I think it was the adrenaline. I just wanted to get out of the train. I was worried that the train was going to catch on fire, to be honest.”
Hours after the horror derailment the British Transport Police declared it as a major incident following a huge emergency response.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday evening, Superintendent Dominique Ioannou thanked the local community and shopkeepers for their kindness in supporting the response.
The cop also paid tribute to the BTP officers and to the emergency workers who worked in the challenging heat.
She said: “A significant emergency response has taken place throughout the evening, involving officers from the British Transport Police, as well as colleagues from Sussex Police, the fire and rescue service, ambulance service and Network Rail.”
Michael Bradfield, a paramedic officer at the South East Coast Ambulance Service, said the incident had been “complex and challenging to deal with”.
He confirmed everyone aboard the train had been assessed and treated and that there had been no fatalities.
Network Rail said the line between Lewes and Haywards Heath would remain closed while it assesses the damage and works to establish what happened.
The railway line will be closed until at least Monday, with replacement bus services running.
Passengers have been urged to check travel advice before making journeys.
The track appeared badly buckled near the derailment site, although the cause of the crash has yet to be officially confirmed.
It is not thought the train was travelling at full speed when it derailed.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch said: “RAIB is deploying a team of inspectors to the site of a passenger train derailment to begin gathering evidence.”
British Transport Police Assistant Chief Constable Ian Drummond-Smith said: “We’ve declared a major incident and a significant emergency service response.
“All passengers have now been safely evacuated from the service.
