Two people have suffered serious injuries after a train derailed in East Sussex.
The Southern train carring 150 people left tracks around 3.54pm today, between Haywards Heath and Lewes.
After three carriages overturned onto their side, leaving several trapped on board, police officers paramedics and fire fighters rushed to the scene.
Everyone on board has now been evacuated and the British Transport Police have declared a major incident over what happened.
Nine other people suffered “less serious” injuries, South East Coast Ambulance Service said.
Images published by the BBC show passengers clambering out of train carriages onto the tracks.
The details of the incident are unclear, and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch have been sent to the scene.
Economy grows by 0.4% – what you need to know
The UK economy grew by 0.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, new data has shown.
What is driving the growth
The growth comes after a first quarter in which the economy expanded by 0.6 per cent and has been boosted by the summer sun and sports events, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Computer programming, advertising and the pharmaceutical industry were areas of strength, the ONS said, but this was offset by falls in power generation and sewerage.
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Housing nightmares
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Growth likely to slow
The economy is now 1.2% bigger than a year ago, but economists warn growth is likely to slow in the second half of the year.
Speaking to the , Fergus Jimenez-England, associate economist at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research said: “Both inflation and unemployment are set to rise in the coming months while business sentiment remains fragile and could dampen further with ongoing energy price volatility.”
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How ‘black hole stars’ could explain mystery of the early universe
Strange red spots in images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) may be a newly discovered type of object called a “black hole star” that is larger than our entire solar system.
Supermassive blackholes
Astronomers have said the objects may help to explain how supermassive blackholes formed so early in the history of the universe.
They lie at the hearts of galaxies and play a key role in determining their growth and evolution.
Solving a puzzle for cosmologists
Supermassive blackholes appear to have formed very soon after the birth of the universe, puzzling cosmologists over how they had time to grow so much during the universe’s infancy.
However, the red dot found by the JWST, which is believed to have formed 660 million years after the Big Bang, may be an infant black hole surrounded by a “cloak of gas” that feeds it as it grows, according to analysis published in the journal .
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Nurses are collapsing during shifts amid “inhumane and impossible” conditions caused by extreme heat, their union has warned.
Union warns of unsafe conditions
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has become the latest union to warn of unsafe working conditions for its members as the number of days over 30°C is already at a new record of 35 this summer.
The union has said some staff have collapsed, while others were left dizzy, nauseous or at risk of fainting while dripping with sweat “from head to toe”.
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What is being done about it?
The NHS has been ordered by health secretary Yvette Cooper to prepare for the effects of heatwaves each year in the same way that it prepares for winter.
Earlier this year, the Climate Change Committee of MPs said that the government should ensure cooling measures are installed in all hospitals and care homes by 2035.
Nurses are being ‘failed’
When nursing staff are collapsing, feeling dizzy, sick or even being admitted to the very hospitals they work in because their workplaces cannot handle the heat, it shows just how badly they are being failed.
RCN chief executive and general secretary Professor Nicola Ranger
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From Aberdeen to Penzance, from Aberystwyth to Hull, skywatchers were out in force yesterday to see the best solar eclipse in a generation.
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A once-in-a-lifetime experience for many
The event sparked huge interest for people across the UK as the Moon covered more than 90 per cent of the Sun.
It was the first time for many, with the last full eclipse occurring in August 1999. However, eclipse enthusiasts will have to wait until 23 September 2090 for the next one.
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Looking directly at the eclipse with the naked eye, or even sunglasses, can cause permanent damage, so a scramble for eclipse glasses ensued around the country.
Huge queues formed at shops which still had stock left, while many had already sold out and were forced to turn away customers.
Temperatures to hit 38°C today as amber warning expanded
Sweltering temperatures of up to 38°C are set to hit the UK today.
The Met Office has today issued an updated amber extreme heat warning for areas across the UK lasting from 9:00 to 23:00.
The relentless heat means that this summer is likely to be the hottest on record.
A dangerous period of heat
The sweltering temperatures forecast today mark the peak of the UK’s latest heatwave.
Tropical nights, where temperatures fail to drop below 20°C, are also expected as humid air spreads into western areas, which can place additional stress on the body.
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An extraordinarily dry period
The lack of rain has piled pressure on farming, freight shipping and energy production, after the UK saw its driest July in 190 years.
Up to 27 million people find themselves under water-use restrictions and 1,017 wildfires have devastated vegetation across England and Wales so far this year, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council.
Temperature records likely to be beaten
More long-standing temperature records are likely to be broken over the coming days.
- Wednesday became the first day in August to reach 35°C or more, making it the 4th consecutive month to reach this temperature.
- If temperatures reach 36°C or higher, 2026 will become the first year to record four separate days at or above that threshold.
- If temperatures reach 38°C today, there is a chance that the record for the hottest August day, which currently stands at 38.5°C, could be broken.
- Provided August temperatures remain average or above for the month, this summer will replace 2025 as the warmest on record.
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Firefighters call for water bomb aircraft to tackle wildfires
Firefighters have called for “wildfire-fighting aircraft” to help combat spate of blazes as Britain braces for another heatwave, with temperatures set to rise above 35°C, possibly reaching 38°C.
Shannon Jones, who was onboard, told the BBC the train derailing “felt like a car crash”, adding: “We all flew forward. The train started wobbling from side to side, it felt like the driver had slammed brakes.
“I was in the fifth carriage, so not the one that derailed. No one knew what was going on.
“We first thought we may have hit someone. Then we heard someone shout ‘call the emergency services, it’s really bad’.
“We heard the sirens and helicopters and a police officer motioned that help was coming and they needed to check the rail track wasn’t live.
“Then we had to go down a ladder one by one and then across the track and the embankment down the field.”
A spokesperson from South East Coast Ambulance Service said patients were “assessed and treated at the scene”, with some transported to local hospitals for care.
Other passengers who did not require hospital treatment were taken to a local community centre, where they are “being supported by partner agencies”, it added..
Due to the train leaving the tracks, there are widespread train delays and cancellations across the south coast. These are expected till 10pm, the BBC reports.
Southern Rail said it was working with emergency services and warned that for the rest of the day no trains will run between Brighton and Lewes, Haywards Heath and Lewes or Seaford, plus Eastbourne and Lewes.
The train operator added that passengers who are currently on trains close to Lewes station should remain on the train and await further updates.
Fire crews and the ambulance service warned people to avoid the area.
The derailment was described as “a very serious and developing incident” by James MacCleary, the MP for Lewes.
MacCleary wrote in a Facebook post: “I am aware of very concerning reports of a train crash in the Lewes area this afternoon.
“I am in touch with the relevant authorities now and will provide further updates as soon as I have more information.
“This is clearly a very serious and developing incident, and my thoughts are with everyone affected.
“In the meantime, if you are concerned about someone or need urgent assistance, please contact the emergency services.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she is “deeply concerned” by the derailment in a post on X.
She added: “Deeply concerned of reports of a derailment involving a Southern train in Lewes, Sussex.
“Grateful to emergency services who are on the scene supporting those impacted.
“We are working quickly with the rail industry and local partners to assist passengers.”
Maryam Eslamdous, general secretary of a transport trade union, The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) said “the immediate priority must be” passenger’s “safety and wellbeing”.
Ms Eslamdoust added: “We are deeply concerned by today’s derailment and our thoughts are with the passengers, emergency services and rail workers affected.
“We thank the emergency services, British Transport Police and Southern Rail staff responding at the scene.”