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Railways: safety

On Thursday 13 August 2026, a Southern Railway train derailed between Haywards Heath and Lewes in East Sussex. Two passengers were seriously injured, and another 18 experienced minor injuries. A major incident was declared by British Transport Police, with fire and rescue services, ambulance services, Sussex Police and railway staff all responding to the incident. An investigation is being carried out by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.

This followed an incident on Friday 19 June 2026 where two East Midlands Railway passenger trains collided near Elstow, just south of Bedford. The driver of one of the trains was killed, and 100 people were injured.

How safe are Britain’s railways?

The railway system in Great Britain is generally considered to be among the safest in Europe, with data from the Office of Rail and Road ranking it the safest railway for the period 2020 to 2024 (the most recent period for which data is available).

Who is responsible for railway safety?

A number of organisations have responsibility for safety on the railway in Great Britain:

• Duty holders: the organisations responsible for managing infrastructure (tracks, stations, signalling, and so on) and train operators that have responsibilities under health and safety law.
• Rail Delivery Group: an organisation that represents infrastructure managers and train operators, and which leads the railway industry safety strategy Leading Health and Safety on Britain’s Railway (PDF).
• Rail Accident Investigation Branch: an organisation that conducts independent investigations of certain categories of rail accident without apportioning blame or liability, and which makes recommendations based on the outcomes of its investigations.
• Rail Safety and Standards Board: an organisation that leads the rail industry’s health and safety strategy, and which undertakes research and makes recommendations on issues including workforce safety, public safety, safety performance monitoring and train accident risk.
• Office of Rail and Road: the safety regulator for the rail industry in Great Britain.

What happens following a major incident?

The emergency response following a major incident is coordinated by the emergency services, including the British Transport Police. Following this, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) may launch an investigation. The RAIB must investigate all rail accidents resulting in, or which could have resulted in, the death of at least one person, serious injury to five or more people, or extensive damage to rolling stock, infrastructure or the environment.

The RAIB collects evidence from a number of sources, including the affected trains and infrastructure, as well as documents and records. The RAIB have the power to access railway property, to require access to records and information, and to require people to answer questions and provide information.

Following its investigation, the RAIB will publish a report. The recommendations in the report must be addressed by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), and in some cases by other public bodies too. The ORR is responsible for ensuring that the RAIB’s recommendations are implemented by railway companies, government bodies and anyone else who has a role that affects how the railways are run.

Support following a major incident

A variety of organisations can provide support to people affected by a major railway incident.

For passengers, family members and other members of the public, the RAIB has published a leaflet with the contact details of organisations that can provide help and support.

For railway staff, the Railway Safety and Standards Board has developed a Railway Mental Health Charter, which has been signed by organisations including the ORR, Network Rail and most train operators. A variety of organisations also support railway workers who have been affected by an incident. These include trade unions such as ASLEF, the RMT, TSSA and Unite, and charities such as the Railway Mission, Railway Benefit Fund and the Transport Benevolent Fund.