Nineteen people have been evacuated from a train which became stuck following a landslide in Kent, British Transport Police (BTP) said.
The train came to a halt between West Malling and Borough Green on Thursday, and rescue attempts were hindered by localised flooding, Network Rail Kent and Sussex said.
It added that staff would be working overnight to clear mud washed onto the tracks by the recent heavy rainfall.
Thank you to @TLRailUK + @SouthernRailUK passengers for your patience today during the bad weather. We are working on the line between Redhill/Coulsdon South clearing mud + making checks for the rest of the night. Trains will run again tomorrow so please check before you travel. pic.twitter.com/18MLbMBHiL
— Network Rail Kent and Sussex (@NetworkRailSE) August 13, 2020
BTP Kent tweeted that they were arranging a coach for the 19 people who were led out of the train, adding: “This incident is likely to have an adverse effect on trains in the area for the next several hours.
“Please check before you travel!”
Train operator Southeastern said the line between Otford and Maidstone East was expected to be closed for the rest of the day after a “train struck some debris on the track”.
The incident comes after a train derailed near Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, on Wednesday, leaving three people dead and six injured.
Following the fatal crash, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps ordered Network Rail to carry out an immediate resilience check of any areas hit by recent storms.
He has also requested for the infrastructure operator to provide a full report about the whole UK network, with interim details to him by September.
