Living in Mallorca is enjoying an exceptional quality of life. To do so with complete peace of mind, it is essential to have insurance tailored to your needs and the support of professionals who know both the local environment and the circumstances of the expatriate community.

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More than 30 years of experience. Personal attention. Protection for everything that matters.

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Reale Seguros, Calle: Puig des Teix 14, L1, Santa Ponsa, 07180

Passengers have been thrown into chaos after a Southern train carrying around 150 people has derailed near Lewes in East Sussex, leaving three carriages on their sides and around 20 people injured, including two serious cases. The train was travelling from London Victoria to Eastbourne when it came off the tracks shortly before 04:00pm on Thursday.

 The rear three carriages of the eight-carriage service overturned, with some passengers trapped inside until emergency crews could reach them.  All passengers were eventually evacuated safely, but the scale of the derailment has triggered a major emergency response involving police, firefighters, ambulance crews and air ambulances. 

Passengers trapped as carriages overturn

Those on board have described the sudden movement as the train began to derail. One passenger said the carriage appeared to jump upwards before the brakes were applied, sending luggage and personal belongings flying through the carriage.  Some passengers were trapped in the overturned carriages and needed assistance from emergency crews.

Others were able to get out themselves, while people who did not require hospital treatment were taken to a nearby community centre for support. All passengers had been evacuated by the evening. Footage from the scene showed the overturned carriages lying beside the railway line, while emergency vehicles and helicopters were brought in to assist the rescue operation.

Major incident declared near Lewes

The derailment has been declared a major incident, bringing a large-scale emergency response to the area. British Transport Police said all passengers had been safely evacuated and officers were working alongside other emergency services at the scene. The force also confirmed that it was supporting the Rail Accident Investigation Branch as investigators began establishing what caused the train to leave the tracks. 

The incident caused major disruption to rail services through Lewes, with routes affected between the Sussex towns and towards Brighton and other destinations. Passengers were warned to expect cancellations and delays while the damaged train and track were dealt with. 

What caused the train to derail?

The cause remains under investigation, and authorities have not confirmed what made the train leave the tracks. Images from the scene have raised questions about possible damage or buckling to the railway track, particularly after an extended period of extreme heat across parts of the UK. However, this remains a possibility rather than an established cause. 

Network Rail has previously warned that very high temperatures can cause railway tracks to expand, potentially creating buckles. That does not mean heat caused Thursday’s derailment, and investigators will need to examine the track, train and surrounding infrastructure before reaching any conclusion. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has deployed inspectors to the scene to establish what happened. 

Emergency crews faced huge rescue operation

The response involved emergency workers from across the region, with ambulances, firefighters, police and air ambulances attending the derailment. Some passengers were able to leave the train themselves, while others required assistance after the carriages overturned. People who did not need hospital treatment were taken to a nearby community centre. Local residents also helped passengers following the crash, providing assistance where needed while the emergency operation continued. 

The incident has occured during a period of exceptionally high temperatures in the UK, adding another challenge for emergency crews working at the scene. The exact number of people taken to hospital has varied between updates, with later reports stating that around 20 people have been hospitalised with injuries of varying severity. The ambulance service’s confirmed injury breakdown remains two serious and around eighteen less serious cases. 

Rail disruption expected to continue

The derailment has left passengers facing significant disruption across the Sussex rail network. Services through Lewes were suspended following the crash, affecting journeys involving Brighton, Eastbourne, Seaford and Haywards Heath. Travellers were advised to check their journeys before setting out as emergency and railway crews continued working at the scene. 

The disruption is particularly significant because Lewes is an important connection between several destinations in East Sussex and the wider Brighton area. The damaged train and railway infrastructure must be examined before normal services can safely resume.

Investigation now under way

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was deeply concerned by the derailment and that the government is working with the rail industry and local partners to assist those affected.  For the passengers on board, the journey from London to Eastbourne ended with a major rescue operation, hospital treatment for some and a long wait for others to leave the scene.

As of now there have been no reports of fatalities, and all passengers have been evacuated from the train. The focus now turns to the 11 confirmed injuries, the condition of those seriously hurt and the investigation into why the train derailed. Until that investigation establishes the cause, suggestions about buckled rails or extreme heat remain just that. What is known is that a train carrying around 150 people came off the tracks near Lewes, three carriages overturned and 20 people were injured, two of them seriously.

Residents in Fuengirola and Marbella are questioning where the Policía Local have gone, claiming that officers who once regularly walked the streets are becoming increasingly difficult to spot.

Euro Weekly News has been contacted by several Fuengirola residents who say they have noticed a striking difference since moving to the Costa del Sol a few years ago. One said, “When I moved here you could see them often on street corners, walking up and down, usually in couples,” she said. “Now you never see one.” And that’s not just here in Fuengirola but all along the coast. Even residents in Marbella have commented the same.

Their concern is not necessarily about serious crime. Instead, they believes a lack of visible, everyday policing is allowing relatively minor offences and local regulations to go unchecked.

“It’s all very well passing these all these bylaws aboy scooters and wearing swimwear off on the streets, but where are the Policía Local?”

Curiously, police numbers have actually been increasing

Official figures make the situation more complicated. Fuengirola Town Hall announced in May that its Policía Local currently has 146 officers, with 12 new officers undergoing training and another eight positions approved. The council said the force had been below the staffing ratio recommended according to the town’s population.

Marbella is also increasing its police numbers. In February, the town announced plans for around 30 new Policía Local positions, while 25 students began the latest entry course in May.

Consequently, the issue may not simply be about how many officers a city employs but how many are actually available for visible street patrols at any given time. Residents do not necessarily experience police numbers through staffing statistics. They experience them by seeing an officer walking through their neighbourhood, speaking to shopkeepers and other residents, monitoring busy pedestrian areas or dealing with minor offences.

So, ‘Where are the Policía Local?’

That distinction is at the heart of readers’ complaint. One from Fuengirola said,  “The ‘bee in my bonnet’ is that our Gobierno and Ayuntamiento spend thousands of euros a year in meetings and passing laws when both they and the general public know that there are no police on the street to see them upheld,” she wrote.

Her examples include beachwear, drinking alcohol in public places and the rules governing electric scooters and bicycles. She also remembers a time when police visibility itself acted as a deterrent on the coast. “When we had them walking our streets, there was very little local crime or misdemeanours,” she said.

Her argument is that minor infringements can gradually become normalised if nobody appears to enforce the rules. “These things may be small fry in the great scheme of Law and Order but when the small rules are broken and not corrected, you can be sure that people begin to take advantage, and the result is lawlessness which is hard to redress.”

E-scooters and bicycles are one obvious example

New rules governing personal mobility vehicles have given local police another area to monitor. Residents have reported seeing officers stopping scooter users following the introduction of tighter national requirements, including rules relating to safety equipment, helmets, insurance and where the vehicles can be used. Cross the border line (as ambiguous as it is) into Las Lagunas de Mijas, and it is an entirely different story with frequent stops by police of helmet-less scooter riders.

Fuengirola has previously reported substantial enforcement activity involving personal mobility vehicles, while police forces across Malaga Province have increased checks on e-scooters. Fuengirola is also investing in its own police fleet, with a 2026 contract covering five new patrol cars.

For residents, however, a new patrol vehicle is not quite the same thing as an officer strolling down the Paseo Maritimo.

Summer brings another policing challenge

It’s hot out there! And, tourism adds another layer to the question. Police resources can be directed towards traffic enforcement, major incidents, nightlife operations, investigations and emergency calls. A provincial summer security operation this year is providing 409 additional National Police and Guardia Civil personnel across Malaga Province. Marbella is receiving 54 of those officers and Fuengirola 25. Those reinforcements, however, are not the same as additional Policía Local officers carrying out routine neighbourhood foot patrols.

Residents want reassurance, not just more rules

One Marbella reader admits that his complaint is partly tongue-in-cheek. “If there’s an incident after the clubs chuck out, they are there in force, so what are they doing in the day?” he asked. He also remembers the reassurance that visible officers provided, walking around and chatting with people in the evenings. “It used to be reassuring to see police out on the streets, like fatherly-figures keeping their family safe.”

Their comments raise a wider question for the Costa del Sol: does having more police officers on the books necessarily mean residents will see more police officers on the beat?

Fuengirola’s latest recruitment figures suggest the local forces are growing, while Marbella is also actively recruiting. The message from the taxpayers for Mayor Ana Mula and Mayor Ángeles Muñez is almost literally “show us the money”!