'It could have gone straight through our homes...': It injured one person, but could have killed dozens

“I was on a work call, my screen and camera were shaking, then the screeching started. I thought it was just the wind, so I shut the window, then I heard all the sirens.”

Residents swarmed their nearby green after that nightmarish sound and the shaking ground that had left many wondering if there had been an earthquake in Audenshaw. But neighbours around Sidmouth Street emerged from their homes to see a sweeping freight train on the nearby tracks, with several units derailed – tipped over at 45 degrees.

The freight line is filled with trains around twice a day, say people in the area, and the tracks run just metres from some houses filled with families, children, pets. It’s ‘frightening to think what could have happened’ had the train careened over any further, just moments away from ploughing through homes and taking their loved ones with it, they say.

READ MORE: 'It sounded like a building was coming down' - Freight train travelling through Tameside derails injuring one person

Greater Manchester Police, British Transport Police, Network Rail, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue, and North West Ambulance Service all descended on the tight-knit corner of the town. The huge emergency service response anticipated major damage and casualties, with a number of residents acknowledging the reality that the train could have collided with their homes, seriously injuring – even killing – their loved ones.

Erica and Rick Hemsworth live close to the freight railway in Audenshaw. They live with their children, and told the Manchester Evening News about the moment the rumbling began at around 11.30am this morning.

“The line is only used once or twice a day, there’s not a lot of traffic along that line, then I just heard this