Heroic Train Employee Receives Life-Threatening Wounds Amid Mass Stabbing Incident on Express Train
A courageous railway staff member who intervened to save passengers during a multiple knife incident on a express train has sustained critical injuries, police stated on Sunday.
Particulars of the Frightening Event
Surveillance video reportedly depicts the employee trying to halt the assailant as the train traveled between a city and Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. Bystanders described a terrifying 14-minute duration after the train departed Peterborough, with injured victims fleeing through compartments.
The individual, a 32-year-old British national from Peterborough, remains in custody 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 Consequences
The incident on the weekend resulted in 11 people being treated in hospital after the train made an unplanned stop at the station in Huntingdon. Five individuals have since been discharged from hospital.
A witness recorded the individual waving a big knife and being shot with a Taser as he confronted police on the platform. He was reportedly heard shouting, "Kill me, end my life."
“This terrible incident has affected many people. We are thinking of the victims and their families – especially the brave employee of train personnel whose relatives are being supported by specialist officers,” said a senior law enforcement officer.
Union Response and Appeals for Measures
Train unions were swift to praise staff and call for increased measures. A labor leader said he would be “requesting immediate meetings with authorities, train companies and police to ensure that we have the strongest available assistance, tools and effective protocols in place”.
Another union leader urged the rail company and government “to move swiftly to examine safety, to help the impacted workers, and to ensure that no incident like this happens again”.
Operator Commended for Quick Action
The train driver who stopped the train at Huntingdon was reported as being “very shaken” but “good”, and has been commended by union officials for doing “precisely what was needed”.
“The driver didn’t stop the train in the middle of two stations where it’s clearly challenging for the first responders to reach, but he continued traveling until he got to Huntingdon, where the response was pretty much already there,” explained a association official.
Additional Details
Police said they got the initial distress calls at 7:39 pm, and the train was forced to make an unplanned stop in Huntingdon at 7:50 pm.
One witness described at first wondering if the situation was a Halloween prank, but quickly understood from people's faces that it was real.
Police have confirmed there is nothing to indicate the event was a terror-related attack and have asked the public to provide with any additional information.
Rail services on the impacted line are expected to experience disruption until Monday, with travelers recommended to postpone their journeys where possible.
Individuals with details that could help the inquiry are asked to reach police by texting a designated number with a case code.