Passengers climb out of a train which derailed in Sussex, England. Photo: Laura Arnold / XShow caption: Passengers climb out of a train which derailed in Sussex, En…Photographs from the scene show carriage on its sideA train has derailed on the south coast of England, leaving several carriages on their side. British Transport ⁠Police said that ​officers and other emergency ⁠services were responding to the derailment ⁠near Lewes railway ​station.Pictures of ​the scene on social media showed at least two carriages lying on their side after the incident, which occurred about 72km south of London. There were no immediate reports of ​any casualties.The images also appeared to show warped tracks. The UK recorded its hottest day of the year so far on Thursday, with temperatures exceeding 38°C, during the fifth heatwave of the summer. The train had been travelling from London Victoria station to Eastbourne.Several train operators had warned against travel on Thursday due to likely disruptions caused by the heat.Network Rail confirmed the derailment happened at 3.54pm and strongly advised people not to attempt to travel in the area due to delays or cancellations to other services. Passengers attempting to reach Gatwick Airport were likely to be affected. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch said its officers were on their way to the scene.The Transport ‌Minister, Heidi ⁠Alexander, said ​in a post ​on ‌X that she was ⁠deeply concerned by the ⁠incident and said the government was working quickly with the rail industry to ​assist passengers.James MacCleary, the Lewes MP, said: "I’m aware of reports of a train crash in the Lewes area this afternoon. This looks to be a very serious incident, I’m in touch with the authorities and will share more information when I have it. My thoughts are with everyone involved."Helena Dollimore, the Labour MP for Hastings and Rye in East Sussex, said the derailment was “deeply distressing”.Updated: August 13, 2026, 5:12 PM