A second passenger train has derailed in southeast England in less than 24 hours, with British Transport Police (BTP) responding to the incident near Wickford in Essex on Friday. The rear carriages of a Greater Anglia train derailed in an upright position shortly after 2 PM local time near Wickford railway station. Police said there were no reported injuries, while paramedics and firefighters also attended the scene.

The train was travelling from Southend to London Liverpool Street with about 40 people onboard. It left Rayleigh at 2:06 PM but failed to reach Wickford as scheduled.

The incident came less than a day after a passenger train derailed near Lewes in East Sussex, leaving two people seriously injured and 18 others with minor injuries.

On Thursday, a Southern train travelling from London Victoria to Eastbourne went off the tracks near Lewes. Three carriages overturned, trapping passengers onboard before around 150 people were evacuated.

Two people were taken to major trauma centres with severe injuries, although BTP said on Friday that their injuries were not considered life-threatening.

The causes of both derailments remain under investigation. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) deployed inspectors to the Wickford site to gather evidence.

Network Rail safety and engineering director Martin Frobisher urged people not to speculate about the causes, saying investigations would examine all possible factors.

The derailments have occurred as the UK experiences its fifth heatwave of the summer. Network Rail said the “unprecedented hot and dry weather” had presented “exceptional challenges” to the railway.

Railway experts have warned that extreme heat could potentially cause rails to expand and buckle. John Lawrence of the Institution of Engineering and Technology said prolonged hot weather could prevent heat from dissipating and increase stress on the tracks.

Railway engineer Gareth Dennis said there was no firm evidence linking the two derailments, but argued that the possibility of a common cause should be investigated. Other experts also pointed to the effects of extreme heat on railway infrastructure.

Network Rail said it had been monitoring track temperatures, imposing speed restrictions where appropriate and planning track renewals around high temperatures.

Despite the two incidents, Frobisher said Britain’s railways remain among the safest in the world and stressed that safety was the railway’s “first consideration.”

Significant disruption was expected on routes affected by the Wickford derailment, with all lines closed between Wickford and Southend Victoria. Passengers were advised to check their journeys and expect delays.