Courageous Rail Staff Member Suffers Severe Injuries Amid Mass Knife Incident on High-Speed Service
A brave railway employee who intervened to save passengers during a mass knife attack on a express train has suffered critical injuries, police confirmed on Sunday.
Particulars of the Frightening Incident
CCTV footage reportedly depicts the employee trying to stop the assailant as the train traveled between a city and another station in the county. Bystanders described a terrifying 14-minute duration after the train departed Peterborough, with bloodied passengers running through compartments.
The suspect, a 32-year-old British national from Peterborough, is in detention for interrogation. Police declared a major incident on the 6:25 pm service from Peterborough to King's Cross in central London.
Crisis Response and Consequences
The incident on Saturday night led to 11 people being cared for in hospital after the train made an unplanned stop at platform 2 in Huntingdon. Five individuals have since been released from medical care.
A bystander filmed the suspect waving a large knife and being subdued with a Taser as he faced officers on the station. He was reportedly heard shouting, "End my life, end my life."
“This terrible incident has affected many people. We are thinking of the victims and their families – especially the brave member of rail staff whose relatives are being supported by trained officers,” said a senior police official.
Labor Response and Calls for Action
Train unions were quick to praise employees and call for more action. A labor official said he would be “seeking immediate meetings with government, train companies and law enforcement to guarantee that we have the best possible support, tools and effective protocols in place”.
A different union representative encouraged the train operator and government “to move quickly to examine security, to support the impacted employees, and to ensure that no incident like this occurs again”.
Operator Commended for Quick Thinking
The operator who stopped the train at Huntingdon was reported as being “very shaken” but “well”, and has been praised by association officials for doing “precisely what was needed”.
“He didn’t stop the service in the center of two stops where it’s clearly challenging for the emergency services to reach, but he carried on going until he arrived to Huntingdon, where the assistance was pretty much already there,” stated a association representative.
Additional Details
Authorities stated they got the initial distress reports at 7:39 pm, and the train was forced to make an unplanned stop in Huntingdon at 7:50 pm.
One witness recounted at first thinking if the event was a holiday joke, but soon understood from individuals' faces that it was real.
Authorities have confirmed there is nothing to suggest the incident was a terror-related attack and have requested the community to provide with any further information.
Train services on the impacted line are anticipated to experience delays until Monday, with passengers advised to defer their travel where feasible.
Individuals with details that could assist the inquiry are encouraged to reach police by sending a message a specific number with a reference code.