london —
British Transport Police said on Friday that a second train had derailed in southeast England in 24 hours, adding that officers were on the scene.
The force said the train’s rear car derailed in an upright position near the town of Wickford, Essex, just after 2pm local time (9am Eastern time) on Friday.
British Transport Police said in a statement: “We are working closely with emergency services and the fire service. There are no reports of injuries at this time.”
The news comes less than 24 hours after a passenger train derailed near Lewes, East Sussex, about 72km south of London, injuring 18 people, including two seriously.
Two trains derailed in the UK within 24 hours
The cause of the derailment is still under investigation, but experts have warned that the heatwave Britain is currently experiencing may have been a factor.
“If the problem is that the track is out of alignment, then the thermal expansion of the rail could cause it to expand and buckle,” John Lawrence, chairman of the Institute of Engineering and Technology’s Rail Technology Network, told Science Media Center.
“This stress can be exacerbated by several days and nights of heat and lack of heat dissipation,” he added.
