🔗 Share this article

A courageous railway employee who stepped in to protect passengers during a mass stabbing incident on a high-speed train has sustained life-threatening injuries, police stated on Sunday.

Details of the Frightening Incident

Surveillance footage reportedly depicts the employee attempting to stop the attacker as the train journeyed between a city and another station in Cambridgeshire. Bystanders described a terrifying 14-minute period after the train departed Peterborough, with injured passengers running through compartments.

The individual, a 32-year-old citizen from Peterborough, is in custody for questioning. Police announced a significant event 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 now been discharged from medical care.

A bystander recorded the suspect brandishing a large knife and being subdued with a stun device as he confronted police on the platform. He was allegedly heard shouting, "End my life, kill me."

“This awful event has created broad consequences. We are thinking of the victims and their families – especially the courageous employee of train personnel whose relatives are being assisted by trained officers,” stated a senior police officer.

Labor Response and Calls for Action

Train associations were swift to commend employees and demand more action. A union official said he would be “seeking urgent meetings with authorities, rail employers and police to guarantee that we have the strongest possible assistance, resources and effective protocols in place”.

Another union representative urged the train operator and authorities “to act swiftly to examine safety, to help the affected employees, and to ensure that no incident like this occurs again”.

Operator Commended for Rapid Action

The operator who stopped the train at Huntingdon was described as being “very shaken” but “well”, and has been commended by union officials for doing “exactly the right thing”.

“The driver did not halt the service in the middle of two stations where it’s obviously challenging for the first responders to access, but he carried on traveling until he got to Huntingdon, where the assistance was pretty much already there,” explained a union representative.

Additional Details

Police said they received the initial distress calls at 7:39 pm, and the train was forced to make an unscheduled stop in Huntingdon at 7:50 pm.

An witness recounted at first wondering if the situation was a holiday prank, but quickly realized from people's expressions that it was real.

Police have confirmed there is nothing to suggest the event was a terror-related incident and have asked the community to provide with any further information.

Rail services on the affected line are expected to have disruption until the following day, with passengers advised to defer their journeys where feasible.

Anyone with details that could assist the inquiry are encouraged to contact police by sending a message a specific number with a case code.