LONDON: Britain has been shaken by a mass stabbing attack aboard a train in central England on Saturday evening, which left nine passengers critically injured and prompted a swift response from armed police.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident as deeply concerning, as authorities declared it a major incident and moved to reassure the public about rail security.
According to the British Transport Police (BTP), the violence erupted shortly after 7:30 p.m. aboard a high-speed London NorthEastern Railway (LNER) service that departed Doncaster at 6:25 p.m. and was bound for London.
The attack began moments after the train passed through Peterborough station in Cambridgeshire.
Eyewitnesses said panic spread through the carriages as passengers screamed and fled for safety. One witness, Wren Chambers, told the BBC that she saw a man bleeding heavily from his arm and other terrified passengers running down the train.
Some people reportedly barricaded themselves inside the train’s toilets to escape the chaos.
Police received the first emergency call at around 7:42 p.m., and within eight minutes, armed officers intercepted the train after it made an emergency stop at Huntingdon station.
Two suspects were initially detained at the scene, but investigators later confirmed that only one man, aged 32, remains in custody on suspicion of attempted murder.
A second man, a 35-year-old British national of Caribbean descent, was released without charge. Police have ruled out terrorism as a motive but say inquiries into the attacker’s intentions are ongoing.
Authorities confirmed that 11 victims were treated in hospital 10 transported by ambulance and one who arrived later on their own.
Nine of those victims sustained life-threatening injuries. By Sunday evening, one victim a member of LNER staff who reportedly tried to confront the attacker remained in critical condition.
Photos from the scene showed blood-stained seats inside the train and passengers’ belongings scattered on the platform at Huntingdon station.
Armed police and forensic teams continued their investigation at the scene through Sunday, with officers appealing for witnesses and video footage.
The attack has reignited debate about security on Britain’s rail network, with officials pledging a comprehensive review of safety protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.
