🔗 Share this article

A valiant train staff member who intervened to save passengers during a mass knife incident on a express train has sustained life-threatening wounds, police stated on Sunday.

Particulars of the Frightening Event

Surveillance video reportedly shows the staff member attempting to stop the attacker as the train journeyed between Peterborough and Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. Bystanders described a terrifying 14-minute duration after the train left Peterborough, with injured passengers fleeing through carriages.

The individual, a 32-year-old British national from Peterborough, remains in detention for interrogation. Authorities declared a major incident on the 6:25 pm service from Peterborough to King's Cross in downtown London.

Crisis Reaction and Aftermath

The event on Saturday night led to 11 people being cared for in hospital after the train made an unplanned stop at the station in Huntingdon. Five individuals have since been released from hospital.

A bystander recorded the individual brandishing a big knife and being subdued with a stun device as he confronted officers on the station. He was allegedly heard yelling, "End my life, end my life."

“This was a horrific attack that has had a wide impact. My thoughts and those of everyone in British Transport Police are with those injured and their families – particularly the courageous member of train personnel whose family are being assisted by trained officers,” said a high-ranking police official.

Labor Reaction and Calls for Action

Rail associations were quick to praise staff and call for more measures. One union leader said he would be “seeking immediate meetings with government, train companies and police to ensure that we have the strongest available support, tools and effective procedures in operation”.

A different association representative urged the train operator and authorities “to act swiftly to review safety, to help the impacted employees, and to make sure nothing like this occurs again”.

Operator Praised for Quick Action

The operator who stopped the train at Huntingdon was described as being “very shaken” but “good”, and has been commended by union representatives for doing “precisely what was needed”.

“He did not halt the service in the middle of two stations where it’s obviously difficult for the first responders to reach, but he continued going until he got to Huntingdon, where the response was pretty much waiting,” explained a union representative.

Additional Details

Authorities said they received the first emergency reports at 7:39 pm, and the train was forced to make an unscheduled stop in Huntingdon at 7:50 pm.

An witness recounted initially wondering if the situation was a Halloween joke, but quickly understood from people's faces that it was real.

Authorities have stated there is no evidence to indicate the event was a terrorist incident and have requested the public to provide with any further information.

Rail services on the affected line are expected to experience delays until Monday, with passengers advised to defer their travel where possible.

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation are asked to reach authorities by sending a message a specific number with a case code.