LONDON — Britain’s Rail Accident Investigation Branch said it is conducting a preliminary examination into a derailment involving a passenger train that left the tracks and then re-railed at Hopetown Junction near Darlington North Road station in County Durham.
RAIB said the incident occurred at about 1:19 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2026, as the train was routed from the Darlington North Road Goods Loop line over a crossover at Hopetown Junction and onto the Bishop Auckland single line toward Shildon. The train crew was initially unaware that anything was wrong, and the train continued to Shildon, where the driver was alerted to the derailment, RAIB said.
A subsequent examination of the train and track found evidence that several wheels derailed and then rerailed within the length of the crossover at Hopetown Junction, the agency said.
RAIB said it has decided to publish a safety digest after reviewing the evidence gathered so far. The safety digest should be posted on its website in the next few weeks.
Be the first to comment