Emergency services and rail investigation teams attend the scene of a train derailment near Wickford railway station.WICKFORD, UNITED KINGDOM – AUGUST 14: Emergency services and rail investigation teams attend the scene following a train derailment near Wickford railway station in Essex, United Kingdom, on August 14, 2026. The rear carriages of a Greater Anglia passenger train derailed in an upright position, causing significant travel disruption and line closures between London Liverpool Street and Southend Victoria, with no injuries reported in the incident. (Photo by Jacqueline Lawrie/Anadolu via Getty Images)Credit: Refer to source

A PROBE has found an “existing defect” on the tracks before a train derailed injuring 30 people – as CCTV shows pictures of buckled rails.

Investigators have now released their initial report into Britain’s second rail derailment in two months after disaster struck last Thursday in Lewes, East Sussex.

Overhead view of a train derailment with emergency personnel inspecting the scene.A probe found an ‘existing defect’ on the tracks before a train derailed in East SussexCredit: Refer to source

When the train set off from London Victoria – it was a journey like any other, with commuters heading home back into the Sussex countryside.

But the rear three carriages of the packed 2.24pm service to Eastbourne left the track around 90 minutes later in scenes of chaos.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) say a “track geometry irregularity” existed on the approach to the crash site before the horror unfolded.

Around 150 people were on the train when it derailed, leaving 30 passengers injured and 20 requiring hospital treatment.

The report also released CCTV images of the track showing the irregularity “adjacent to the white ballast bags”.

In a joint statement from Network Rail and Greater Thameslink Railway, they said they were “very sorry that this happened on our railway”.

“Our thoughts remain with everyone affected, especially those who were injured and the family and friends of those on board the train.

“We also recognise the ongoing impact the incident has had on customers, local communities and railway colleagues.

“Safety is and will always remain our highest priority. While Britain’s railway is one of the safest in the world, when incidents like this occur it is essential that we understand exactly what happened and identify any lessons that can be learned.”

They added they will “carefully consider any recommendations” from the investigation and work to implement them.

“Given the complexity of the issues being examined, it is important that the independent investigation is allowed to reach its conclusions. We will continue to cooperate fully with the RAIB throughout this process,” they added.

Disaster struck the packed 2.24pm service from London Victoria to Eastbourne when the train’s rear three carriages left the track at around 90 minutes later at around 3.50pm.

The service was already running around 20 minutes late – having been subject to speed restrictions before disaster struck.

Passengers were tossed around inside the train with commuters describing people “dropping from the sky” as the rear three carriages of the eight coach train were thrown down a dusty embankment.

The derailment left 40 of the train’s 150 terrified passengers trapped on one of the hottest days of the year.