Second Train Derails in Essex Amid Ongoing Heat Concerns

British Transport Police said a passenger train’s rear carriages left the tracks in an upright position near Wickford, Essex, shortly after 2 p.m. local time on Friday. Officers, paramedics and fire crews were dispatched to the scene, and the police statement noted that no injuries had been reported.

The incident follows a derailment near Lewes, East Sussex, less than a day earlier that left eighteen people hurt, including two seriously. Authorities are still investigating the causes of both events.

John Lawrence, chair of the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s Railway Technical Network, told the Science Media Center that prolonged high temperatures could cause rail expansion and buckling, potentially leading to loss of track alignment. He said the stress on rails can increase when hot weather persists over several days and nights, limiting heat dissipation.