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Two people hurt after train derailed near Watford Junction

Commuters took to social media to voice their frustration with a number of services which were cancelled or delayed as a result of the storms.

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Flash flooding hit parts of the South East with thunderstorms dumping nearly half a month’s rain in a few hours and derailing a train at Watford.

National Rail says trains in the Newcastle area were delayed by up to 45 minutes as lightening struck railway signalling equipment between Morpeth and Durham.

Train services in and out of Euston will be disrupted until at least lunchtime, rail operators are warning. According to British Transport Police, its officers attended the incident of a landslide at the Hunton Bridge Tunnel near Watford and are working with fire and ambulance services at the scene.

A statement from Network Rail states that the derailed train made contact with another train, travelling in the opposite direction, however it was a glancing blow and the northbound train did not leave the tracks.

All of the passengers have since been rescued but the two damaged trains remain on the tracks.

It was added that “our priority is to fully reopen the railway as soon as it is safe to do so”.

Passengers are now being removed from the train before engineers remove it from the tracks.

Travel restrictions have been lifted for passengers on affected routes who can travel earlier or use their tickets with other providers.

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Francis Thomas from London Midland told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the driver of the train “reported hitting something” which caused the train to derail.

D7J34W Watford junction railway station credit Alamy