Greater Anglia trains will keep disrupting journeys for at least a week after one of its services derailed at Wickford, Essex, at 14:12 BST on Friday. More than 60 passengers were on the Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street train, and none were injured.
Greater Anglia said 1.5 miles of track and infrastructure were damaged, forcing the railway to stay closed between Billericay and Hockley on the route between Shenfield and Southend Victoria for emergency repairs. Jamie Burles said, “We know this disruption will impact our customers' journeys on the lines to Southend Victoria and Southminster and we are grateful for our customers' patience as we carry out this emergency work.”
Wickford line repairs
The repair list is wider than a single broken section of rail. Greater Anglia said work includes replacement or repair of track, supporting ballast and sleepers, overhead line support stanchions and signalling equipment, along with checks to other structures. That means the line cannot return to normal service until the damaged section and the systems around it are made safe.
Jamie Burles said, “Our response teams are working around the clock and doing everything they can to safely restore the line and resume normal train services as soon as possible.” He also said, “We are very sorry for the inconvenience we know this disruption to services will cause.”
Services between Shenfield and Southend Victoria
Greater Anglia said a rail shuttle service will continue between Shenfield and Billericay and between Hockley and Southend, while a limited replacement bus service will connect Billericay and Hockley. A rail replacement service is planned between Wickford and Southminster, and customers were advised to use c2c services whenever possible on the route between Southend Central and London Fenchurch Street, where Greater Anglia tickets will be accepted.
The company also warned that rail shuttle services will be extremely limited and will not match the capacity of the normal timetable. For passengers, the practical answer is to avoid assuming a normal journey pattern and to follow the replacement services and ticket acceptance arrangements already set out by the operator.
Network Rail and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch
A Network Rail response team was sent to the site to carry out a full investigation and assess the condition of the route. A team of inspectors from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch is gathering evidence to work out the cause.
Jamie Burles added, “As repair work progresses, further updates or any changes to services and the impact on journeys will be provided when they are available.” The immediate issue for passengers is not just the derailment itself, but how long the damaged stretch, the emergency repairs and the investigation will keep the line constrained.
