Fatalities feared after train derails
Police feared that death had returned to the railways today after a three-carriage passenger train derailed, apparently smashing into a railway bridge north of London.
The 12.45pm West Anglia Great Northern service was near Potters Bar station in Hertfordshire when the accident occurred.
The train had just left King’s Cross station bound for King’s Lynn.
The derailment was close to Hatfield where a GNER express came off the tracks in October 2000 in an accident which claimed four lives.
Hertfordshire police said there were unconfirmed reports of fatalities in the derailment.
Railtrack said it was a four-carriage train. Three of the carriages had derailed and the final carriage hit the platform at Potters Bar.
It was not immediately known if anyone on the platform was hurt.
There were unconfirmed reports that the train exploded after hitting the bridge.
Hertfordshire Police said in a statement: ‘‘Reports have come into Hertfordshire Constabulary of a serious rail crash near Potters Bar railway station just before 12.55pm.
‘‘This is being treated as a major incident and we are responding as a matter of urgency.
‘‘There are reports of fatalities although there is no confirmed information at this early stage.’’
Several ambulances were sent to the scene. The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Ambulance Service asked the neighbouring London Ambulance Service for help in coping with the emergency.
