Lewes Derailment Repairs Set to Cost Network Rail £5.4m
The August derailment at Lewes is now expected to cost Network Rail £5.4m to repair.
What the letter says
The number comes from a Freedom of Information request. In its reply, Network Rail gave an "anticipated final cost" of £5.4m. It said the money covers recovery work after an incident of this kind, listing "hiring heavy plant machinery and infrastructure renewal and repair".
The company also said it holds only estimated figures at this stage. The total may therefore move.
The derailment and the closure
The train was carrying about 150 passengers when it came off the rails close to Lewes station. Two people were seriously injured. The line between Haywards Heath and Lewes stayed shut for more than two weeks.
A group of passengers is now taking legal action against Southern Rail over their injuries. One of them is Rob Bradley, who was on the train with his six-year-old daughter.
Why the bill is so large
Sim Harris, managing editor of the industry paper Railnews, said the £5.4m was a large sum but that there was context. Three coaches had turned over on an embankment, he explained, and they would have been damaged. Each had to be recovered, and special cranes had to be brought in.
He added that a long closure brings its own costs. Network Rail currently has to pay delay attribution charges to train operators, which are payments tied to the delays that a shut line causes.
Cause still unknown
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has so far reported an irregularity with the track in its initial findings. Authorities have not confirmed what caused the derailment. Investigations are continuing.
Source: BBC News