Wimbledon train derailment: delays after South Western Railway train slides off track

Commuters heading into the capital faced chaos this morning after a train came off the rails near Wimbledon.

A South Western Railways - formerly South West Trains - commuter service from Basingstoke belonging to partially derailed as it left Wimbledon station at low speed just before 6am, the BBC reports.

Emergency services, including nine fire engines, attended the scene. The London Fire Brigade reported that all passengers had been safely evacuated, with one person sustaining a minor injury.

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According to National Rail, the train has now been moved and the track is open again, but delays are expected until at least midday - and several news outlets are suggesting that service disruption could continue until the end of the day.

The blockage also forced the London Underground’s District Line to suspend service between Parsons Green and Wimbledon, causing even more stress for commuters who were forced to replan their journeys to work.

The disruption came as other Tube stations were hit by power outages and faults.

A power failure meant that several Northern line stations, including Angel, Goodge Street and Kentish Town, were closed or exit-only during rush hour, while a signal failure at Barking caused severe delays on the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines.

On the Bakerloo line, another power fault prevented service between Queens Park and Piccadilly - the section has now reopened, albeit with “severe delays”.

In August, a South West Trains train partially derailed at low speed near Guildford after colliding with a Network Rail engineering wagon.