Regular reader on derailed Tube

I've received an email from Pete S who was on the Central Line Tube that was derailed yesterday, and he seems to have a very different experience to the commuters quoted in Thursday's London Lite:


"Hi Annie. I was on the train that derailed at 40mph between Mile End and Bethnal Green yesterday morning - only one person had a sprained ankle to show for it on the whole train apparently and no one was scared although a bit shaken up (Dunkirk spirit and all that). It was quite exciting to walk up the tunnel back to Mile End - masses and masses of firemen and coppers hanging around waving torches... an interesting experience!

"Anyways I have the feeling it will be a while until we see Central line services again - I was in about carriage 3 and all the way back through the train each carriage was leaning at a jaunty 20% angle or so against the tunnel wall - hate to think what damage has occured to the tracks.

"Let me know if you want to know any more - don't believe what you read in the papers! (One thing I will say is that there was an off-duty train operator in our carriage who had been up to see the rather shaken driver. He said the driver thought he had seen a battery or similar lying on the rail which caused the train to jump off - I guess it must have dropped off the previous train)"

And he signs off "(a slightly sooty) Pete"