The driver of a train that derailed in Essex while travelling at 77mph had reported seeing a “kink” in the track, an investigation has found.

The Greater Anglia train derailed south of Wickford station, Essex, on August 14 with an estimated 62 passengers onboard on its way to London Liverpool Street.

There were no reported injuries and the train remained upright throughout the incident.

Its rear carriage derailed and was dragged across sleepers and ballast for around 1.5 miles, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) said in an update into its probe into the incident on Friday.

The RAIB said the driver had been “in the process of reporting the track condition” when they braked after receiving an emergency call from another train passing in the opposite direction.

The RAIB said: “Preliminary analysis of the on-train data recorder (sometimes referred to as ‘the black box’) obtained from the front vehicle recorded that the train was travelling at around 77mph (124 km/h) when it derailed.

“The driver reported seeing a kink in the track which rocked the driving cab as the train passed over it.

“Forward-facing CCTV recovered from the train involved shows a misalignment in the track at the same location as the driver’s report and the point of derailment.”

The train that derailed “sustained damage” while the one passing in the opposite direction received “minor damage from flying ballast,” investigators said.

“There was significant damage caused to the track, signalling and overhead electrification equipment,” the RAIB added.

The investigator said its probe will look at factors including “the effectiveness of any mitigation measures to address the risk of operating trains in hot weather”.

Events leading up to and during the derailment, as well as the actions of those involved, the status and maintenance of the track and the performance of the train during the incident will also be considered.

Jamie Burles, GBR Anglia managing director said the company was continuing to support the investigation and added: “While the line between Wickford and Shenfield has now reopened, we are very sorry for the disruption this incident caused to our passengers and our local community.

“We remain thankful that no one was injured.

“Safety is our highest priority.

“Thankfully incidents like this are extremely rare on Britain’s railways which remain among the safest in the world but, when they do happen, we are determined to fully understand why.”

It comes after Network Rail said rail passengers along the same Greater Anglia route may face longer journeys until Tuesday because of issues caused by drought and hot weather.

Network Rail said amended timetables are being introduced on the Southend Victoria to London line as well as the nearby c2c route between Shoeburyness in Essex and London, following a summer of record-breaking heatwaves.

Sustained hot weather and low rainfall have caused the clay underneath long stretches of the railway in Essex to dry out and shrink, causing some issues with the quality of the track, Network Rail said.

The changes mean that some journeys will take between two and eight minutes longer than usual with adjusted departure and arrival times.

The derailment in Essex came less than 24 hours after two passengers were seriously injured in a separate incident where a Southern Rail service came off the tracks in East Sussex.

The Lewes derailment happened on the UK’s hottest day of 2026 so far, with temperatures reaching 38.1C in west London.

In its investigation into the East Sussex derailment, the RAIB noted there was “a sustained period of hot and dry weather” before the accident.