Summary

  • A passenger on board a derailed train in Essex tells the BBC it "swung wildly for about 10 seconds"

  • Emergency services are responding at the scene after a London-bound train carrying up to 45 passengers partially came off the tracks in Wickford - what we know so far

  • British Transport Police says "the rear carriages of a train derailed in an upright position" at 14:12 BST, adding there are no reported injuries - its statement in full

  • National Rail says major disruption is expected "until further notice"

  • It comes a day after a separate train derailment in Lewes, Sussex - the cause of that incident is still being investigated

  • Responding to the derailment, the Department for Transport says Britain's railways are "amongst the safest in the world"

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Live Reporting

Edited by James Hore, with Alex Stevanovic at the scene in Wickford and Lewis Adams writing

  1. Early days for investigators

    Nicola Haseler
    In Wickford

    Today's derailment is the second in two days, after yesterday's incident near Lewis in East Sussex where two people were injured, but there's nothing at this stage to link the two incidents.

    Of course, there will be questions about whether the heat played a part, but that will be up to the rail accident investigators who are currently here and will be looking into all possible causes.

    So, it's early days at the moment.

    Transport secretary Heidi Alexander told us that our railways remain amongst the safest in the world and while incidents like this are extremely rare, when they do occur, they are taken very seriously.

  2. Picture shows wheels derailed off the track

    This image shows where two of the train's wheels came off the tracks earlier.

    The train departed Rayleigh at 14:06 BST but failed to reach Wickford as planned at 14:11.

    Two train wheels off the tracks and on the stony floor.PA Media

  3. Drone images capture investigators at the scene

    A drone image showing police and railway workers assessing the train and railway tracks.PA Media
    A closer up drone image showing railway workers assessing the train and railway tracksPA Media

  4. Investigators will consider if derailment was weather-related - MP

    Mark Francois, the Conservative MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, has just issued a statement.

    He says: "This is a worrying incident but, mercifully, it would appear that nobody has been seriously hurt.

    "The emergency services are there in numbers, the train has now been evacuated and an investigation, which may take a while, will now take place to ascertain the cause - and specifically whether or not this was weather related.

    "However, the bottom line is that, thankfully, the passengers appear to be safe."

  5. All train services cancelled at Southend Airport

    BBC Essex reporter Matt Knight has sent us this picture from Southend Airport, where all train services have been cancelled.

    He says there are lots of confused passengers who can't get to their onward destinations.

    A whiteboard in front of closed railway gates. It says there has been an incident and all services are cancelled until further notice.Matt Knight/BBC

  6. Watch: Footage of the derailed train

    BBC colleagues are at the scene and have sent back this footage of the derailed train.

    Train derailed in upright position in Wickford, Essex

  7. Tickets will remain valid for travel tomorrow

    Greater Anglia has said any tickets dated today will be valid for travel tomorrow, at no extra cost.

    Those who are stranded have been asked to speak to a member of staff for assistance about onward journeys.

    Tickets can be used on:

    • c2c services between London Liverpool Street / London Fenchurch Street, West Ham and Southend Central

    And via London Underground services:

    • Circle line between London Liverpool Street and Tower Hill (for London Fenchurch Street)
    • Jubilee line between Stratford (London) and West Ham
    • Liberty line between Romford and Upminster, for c2c connections

  8. Confusion at Southend Airport and warning of weekend-long closure

    Matt Knight
    at Southend Airport

    There are lots of confused passengers at Southend Airport right now.

    Many of them can't get to their onward destinations from the railway station here.

    We've heard an announcement saying not to buy rail tickets. People are hunting for taxis as there are no replacement buses.

    One Greater Anglia official at the station said no trains would run tonight and it was likely the line would be shut all weekend.

  9. Residents handing out water to emergency crews

    Alex Stevanovic
    Reporting from Wickford

    Bottles of water placed by the side of a residential road, where emergency crews are workingAlex Stevanovic/BBC

    People living close to the scene have been handing out bottles of water and ice lollies to the emergency workers.

    They're working in sweltering conditions: It's 33C here.

  10. Major disruption to continue for the rest of Friday

    National Rail says major disruption is now expected to continue "until at least the end of the day" today.

    Earlier it had said delays would be felt until 18:00 BST.

  11. 'The train swung wildly for about 10 seconds,' passenger tells BBC

    Kris Bramwell
    BBC News

    Jon Young has taken a selfie with a member of Greater Anglia staff. Both are walking along the railway line next to the train and wearing pale blue shirts.Jon Young

    Jon Young got off the train with a member of Greater Anglia staff who was on board

    Jon Young, 37, from Brentwood was on the train that derailed and says everybody he's seen is OK.

    He tells the BBC: "The train swung wildly for around 10 seconds, like it was about to tilt over."

    "It then carried on going for a couple of minutes but there was a horrible vibrating sound, so something obviously wasn't right," he adds.

    "Then the train then came to a halt and there was smoke coming from the back carriage."

    He says that people "panicked" and ran up the train, before they "calmed down" and waited for help to arrive.

    Young says emergency services helped him down from the train onto the side of the tracks.

    A banner with a purple background and white text that reads Your Voice.

  12. Police securing the scene with tape

    Alex Stevanovic
    Reporting from Wickford

    Police officers pull blue and white tape across the road, where various police cars are parked.Alex Stevanovic/BBC

    Police are now putting up blue and white tape in Salcott Crescent as they look to secure the scene.

    They are closing it at the junction with Pebmarsh Drive

  13. Railway director urges people not to speculate about the incident

    Martin Frobisher, a director at Network Rail, says teams are working to establish what caused the derailment.

    He says two carriages came off the track - but remained upright - and no significant injuries have been reported.

    "We would ask people to avoid speculating on the cause of any incidents until further information is available," Frobisher adds.

  14. Neighbour heard 'almighty crunching' from the railway line

    Aaron Poyser has dark hair and is wearing sunglasses and a white vest. He is standing in front of emergency crews at the scene.Alex Stevanovic/BBC

    Aaron Poyser, who lives next to the railway line, was in the garden when he heard an "almighty crunching sound".

    "It’s almost like someone was shovelling stones. I saw this plume of dust and smoke," he says.

    "You could see the train had come off the tracks. It was quite scary, to be honest."

  15. What we know so far

    Railworkers and police stand next to a partially derailed train in Wickford, EssexPA Media

    A Greater Anglia passenger train has derailed in Essex, the second such incident in the UK in two days. Here's what we know so far:

    • British Transport Police says they have received reports that the rear carriages of the train derailed in an upright position at 14:12 BST in Wickford
    • It is a Southend to Liverpool Street train, which left Rayleigh at 14:06 but failed to reach Wickford at 14:11 as planned
    • About 40 to 45 passengers were on board the London-bound train, Basildon Borough Council says
    • No major injuries have been reported, but air ambulances have been seen landing in an open space near the location of the derailment, while railway workers, paramedics and police are also responding
    • All services between Southend Victoria and London Liverpool Street have been cancelled, National Rail says, while services between Wickford and Southminster are also affected
    A map showing the location of the train derailment near Wickford, with the locations of train stops Rayleigh, Southend Airport and Southend Victoria also labelled.

  16. Britain's railways 'among the safest in the world' - Department for Transport

    The Department for Transport has stressed Britain's railways are "among the safest in the world" as it reacts to today's incident.

    "The train is upright, there are no reported injuries and investigators have already been deployed to the site," it says.

    "Our railways remain amongst the safest in the world and while incidents like this are extremely rare, when they do occur, they are taken very seriously."

  17. Business owner's office 'shook' when train derailed

    James Kelly
    BBC Your Voice

    With brown hair tied back and large black glasses wearing a black v-neck top. She is standing outside a light bricked building in a car park that is out of focus.

    Danielle Belton runs a business on an industrial estate near to where the train derailed.

    She says the noise was so loud it shook her office.

    "We're used to hearing the trains go past all the time, but we heard what sounded like a crash," says Belton, who is a Conservative councillor in neighbouring Rochford.

    "There was a big, loud noise and then the unit rattled and sort of shook.

    “All the girls in my office, we all kind of went, 'blimey, what was that?'. You felt the office rattle and you heard the loud noise."

  18. Bushes blocking the scene of the derailment from onlookers

    Alex Stevanovic
    Reporting from Wickford

    "There are residents out in the road just looking at the train, says the BBC's Alex Stevanovic.

    "Emergency services are also here, including plenty of police cars and ambulances.

    "The train is behind a row of bushes so you can't quite see it properly from this spot in Salcott Crescent," he adds.

  19. Council leader thanks emergency crews at the scene

    We've heard from Andy Barnes, the Conservative leader of Basildon Borough Council - in whose authority area Wickford is based.

    "I would like to thank all of the emergency services who are currently responding to this incident," he says.

    "Our thoughts are with everyone affected, and we sincerely hope that all those involved are safe and well."

  20. Pictures show ambulance at the scene

    Alex Stevanovic, a BBC reporter at the scene in Salcott Crescent, has sent these images.

    They show railway workers, paramedics and police all responding to the derailment.

    Railway workers in hi-vis, police officers and an ambulance all in a residential road in Wickford. The railway line is pictured out of shot behind some trees to the left.Alex Stevanovic/BBC
    Police cars and an ambulance parked in a residential road. A crowd of people have gathered to watch.Alex Stevanovic/BBC