Hastings line
Accidents and incidents
Accidents and incidents
-----------------------

A number of accidents have occurred on the Hastings line, none of which have involved the death of a passenger.

* On 4October 1852, a passenger train was derailed between  and  when the [formation](/wiki/Track_formation "Track formation") was flooded and washed away. Both engine crew members were injured.
* On 21June 1856, a passenger train derailed between Tunbridge Wells and Tunbridge Junction, killing the driver and injuring the fireman and a passenger.
* On [25October 1859](/wiki/Royal_Charter_Storm "Royal Charter Storm"), almost  of track was washed away between St Leonards and , affecting the Hastings line.
* On 23 June 1861, a collision between SER and LBSC passenger trains occurred at Bo Peep Junction, injuring around ten people. The SER train [overran signals](/wiki/Signal_passed_at_danger "Signal passed at danger") due to excessive speed, insufficient brakes, low rail adhesion or a combination of these factors.
* On 30 September 1866, the [slip portion](/wiki/Slip_coach "Slip coach") of a train, which was to be worked forwards to Hastings, failed to stop at Tunbridge due to an error by the slip guard. It crashed into a rake of empty carriages  east of the station. Eleven of the 40 passengers were injured.
* On 22February 1892, a SER locomotive was run into by a LBSC passenger train at Hastings. The passenger train had overrun a danger signal. Both locomotives were damaged.
* On 29August 1896, the locomotive of a Charing Cross to Hastings train was derailed near  when it collided with a [traction engine](/wiki/Traction_engine "Traction engine") and [threshing machine](/wiki/Threshing_machine "Threshing machine") using an [occupation crossing](/wiki/Level_crossing "Level crossing").
* On 29 April 1912, [SECR F1 class](/wiki/SECR_F1_class "SECR F1 class") locomotive No. 216 was working an empty stock train when it suffered the failure of the firebox crown near Tunbridge Wells due to a lack of water in the [boiler](/wiki/Boiler "Boiler"). Both engine crew were severely injured by escaping steam and jumping from the moving locomotive.
* On 6January 1930, the rear carriages of a passenger train from Hastings to London were partially buried by a landslip near Wadhurst tunnel. The train was divided and the front part continued on to Tunbridge Wells, where it arrived 100 minutes late.
* On 23December 1958, 6L unit *1017* collided with 6B unit *1035* at Tunbridge Wells Central. Eighteen people were injured, with three of them admitted to hospital.
* On 8 November 2010, a passenger train operated by [Class 375](/wiki/British_Rail_Class_375 "British Rail Class 375") unit 375 711 failed to stop at  station due to maintenance errors in respect of the train's sanding apparatus. The train overran the station by . Following the incident, Southeastern reduced the interval that the sand hoppers were to be refilled from seven days to five days. The company was fined £65,000 and ordered to pay £22,589 in costs.
* On 23 December 2013, a landslip at Wadhurst was the first in a series of landslips up to February 2014 which led the line between Wadhurst and St. Leonards Warrior Square being closed and reopened three times, with speed restrictions in place following repairs. The train service was replaced by buses during closures. [Southeastern](/wiki/Southeastern_%28train_operating_company%29 "Southeastern (train operating company)") was criticised by [Hastings and Rye MP](/wiki/Hastings_and_Rye_%28UK_Parliament_constituency%29 "Hastings and Rye (UK Parliament constituency)") [Amber Rudd](/wiki/Amber_Rudd "Amber Rudd") over poor customer service during this period. By 12 March, the section between Wadhurst and Robertsbridge had reopened, with full service being restored on 31 March.

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