Heroic Train Employee Receives Severe Wounds During Multiple Knife Incident on High-Speed Service
A brave train staff member who stepped in to save passengers during a multiple knife incident on a express train has sustained critical wounds, police stated on Sunday.
Details of the Frightening Event
CCTV video reportedly shows the employee trying to stop the assailant as the train traveled between a city and Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. Witnesses recounted a frightening 14-minute period after the train left Peterborough, with bloodied victims fleeing through carriages.
The individual, a 32-year-old British national from Peterborough, is in detention for questioning. Authorities declared a major incident on the 6:25 pm service from Peterborough to King's Cross in central London.
Emergency Response and Aftermath
The event on Saturday night resulted in 11 people being cared for in medical facilities after the train made an unscheduled stop at the station in Huntingdon. Five individuals have since been released from hospital.
A bystander filmed the individual waving a large knife and being subdued with a stun device as he confronted police on the platform. He was reportedly heard shouting, "End my life, end my life."
“This awful event has created broad consequences. My thoughts and those of everyone in British Transport Police are with those injured and their families – particularly the brave employee of rail staff whose family are being assisted by trained personnel,” said a high-ranking police official.
Union Reaction and Calls for Measures
Train unions were swift to praise staff and demand increased measures. A union official stated he would be “seeking urgent meetings with authorities, train companies and law enforcement to guarantee that we have the strongest possible assistance, resources and robust protocols in place”.
Another association representative urged the train operator and government “to act quickly to review safety, to support the affected workers, and to ensure nothing like this occurs again”.
Operator Praised for Rapid Action
The train driver who stopped the train at Huntingdon was reported as being “very shaken” but “well”, and has been commended by union officials for doing “precisely what was needed”.
“The driver did not stop the train in the center of two stations where it’s obviously difficult for the emergency services to access, but he carried on going until he got to Huntingdon, where the assistance was pretty much waiting,” stated a union official.
Further Information
Police stated they got 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 described at first thinking if the situation was a Halloween prank, but quickly understood from people's faces that it was real.
Police have stated there is nothing to suggest the incident was a terrorist incident and have asked the community to provide with any additional details.
Rail operations on the impacted route are anticipated to experience disruption until Monday, with passengers recommended to postpone their journeys where possible.
Individuals with information that could help the inquiry are asked to reach authorities by texting a designated number with a case code.