19/08/2026
Please read this important update from Rayleigh and Wickford MP Mark Francois
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Yesterday afternoon, along with several other Essex MPs and/or their staff, I attended a virtual meeting, regarding the recent derailment just outside Wickford Station, last Friday. Those participating included:
- Lord Hendy, the Railways Minister, (who chaired the discussion)
- Assistant Chief Constable Ian Drummond-Smith, of the British Transport Police
- Jamie Burles, the Great British Railways (GBR) Anglia Director
- Martin Beable, The Managing Director of Greater Anglia (GA)
We all agreed that they key point was that, mercifully, nobody was seriously injured by the incident. Essex Police arrived on the scene within 10 minutes, followed by the BTP, a further ten minutes later, as well as the other emergency services. I took the opportunity, via ACC Drummond-Smith, to thank all of the emergency services for their very prompt and professional response. The train was subsequently evacuated and passengers were led to safety.
The independent Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has examined the scene of the accident and will subsequently issue a detailed report, about what happened. However, some basic facts are already clear. Two of the ten carriages on the early afternoon train were derailed, although most of the damage was caused by the last one, which was dragged for around a mile and a half, before the train was halted. In so doing, the carriage acted almost like a βknife,β cutting through over 3,000 railway sleepers, damaging well over a mile of track, signalling equipment and cables and some of the overhead gantries on the line, as well.
The damaged train has now been removed and repair works are already underway. Greater Anglia is, temporarily, running trains from Liverpool Street to Shenfield, where you can change and then take a βshuttle trainβ to Billericay and then itβs buses on to Wickford, Rayleigh and Hockley, where you can then pick up another βshuttle trainβ for stations to Southend Victoria (and vice versa). I used this route to get home from Westminster yesterday evening and it took me nearly two and a half hours, to complete the journey.
However, given the extensive damage I have just outlined, Greater Anglian believe it will be βat least a weekβ before the line can be fully re-opened, although they are working 24/7 and doing their best to keep to this, if at all possible. (Some people are alternatively travelling by C2C, which is accepting GA tickets while, anecdotally, some others have likely requested to work from home, for the remainder of this week).
During yesterdayβs meeting, I strongly suggested that if, by this Friday, GA are unable to guarantee reopening by next Monday morning, they should publish an update, including on social media, to give people a fighting chance to plan alternatives.
For my own part, I will also publish a further update, once any more reliable information is available.
