Heroic Rail Employee Receives Life-Threatening Injuries Amid Mass Knife Incident on High-Speed Service
A brave railway staff member who stepped in to save travelers during a multiple stabbing attack on a express train has sustained critical injuries, police stated on Sunday.
Details of the Terrifying Event
Surveillance video allegedly shows the employee attempting to halt the attacker as the train traveled between a city and another station in Cambridgeshire. Witnesses described a frightening 14-minute duration after the train departed Peterborough, with injured passengers running through compartments.
The suspect, a 32-year-old British national from Peterborough, remains in custody for interrogation. Authorities announced 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 the weekend resulted in 11 people being treated in hospital after the train made an unplanned stop at platform 2 in Huntingdon. Five people have now been discharged from hospital.
A witness filmed the suspect brandishing a big knife and being shot with a Taser as he faced police on the station. He was allegedly heard yelling, "Kill me, 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 – especially the brave member of rail staff whose family are being assisted by specialist personnel,” said a senior law enforcement officer.
Union Response and Calls for Measures
Train associations were swift to commend employees and demand increased measures. One labor leader said he would be “requesting immediate meetings with authorities, rail employers and law enforcement to ensure that we have the strongest available assistance, tools and effective procedures in operation”.
Another union representative urged the train operator and authorities “to move swiftly to review safety, to support the impacted workers, and to make sure nothing like this happens again”.
Driver Praised for Rapid Thinking
The operator who stopped the service at Huntingdon was reported as being “very shaken” but “good”, and has been praised by association officials for doing “exactly the right thing”.
“He did not halt the train in the center of two stops where it’s obviously difficult for the first responders to access, but he continued traveling until he arrived to Huntingdon, where the response was pretty much already there,” explained a association official.
Additional Information
Authorities stated they got the first emergency calls at 7:39 pm, and the service was compelled to make an unscheduled stop in Huntingdon at 7:50 pm.
One witness described initially wondering if the event was a Halloween prank, but soon understood from people's expressions that it was serious.
Police have stated there is no evidence to suggest the event was a terrorist incident and have requested the community to provide with any additional information.
Train services on the impacted route are expected to experience delays until the following day, with passengers recommended to defer their journeys where feasible.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation are encouraged to reach authorities by texting a specific number with a reference code.