Courageous Train Staff Member Endures Severe Injuries During Mass Stabbing Incident on High-Speed Service
A brave railway staff member who intervened to save passengers during a multiple stabbing attack on a express train has sustained critical injuries, police confirmed on Sunday.
Details of the Terrifying Incident
Surveillance video allegedly depicts the employee trying to stop the assailant as the train journeyed between a city and Huntingdon in the county. Bystanders recounted a terrifying 14-minute duration after the train left Peterborough, with injured victims fleeing through carriages.
The individual, a 32-year-old British national from Peterborough, is in detention for interrogation. Authorities announced a major event on the 6:25 pm service from Peterborough to King's Cross in downtown London.
Emergency Reaction and Aftermath
The incident on the weekend led to 11 people being treated in medical facilities after the train made an unscheduled stop at the station in Huntingdon. Five individuals have since been discharged from medical care.
A bystander recorded the individual brandishing a big knife and being shot with a Taser as he confronted police on the platform. He was allegedly heard shouting, "End my life, kill me."
“This awful event has created broad consequences. Our sympathies go out to the injured and their loved ones – particularly the brave member of train personnel whose relatives are being supported by specialist officers,” said a high-ranking law enforcement official.
Labor Reaction and Calls for Action
Train associations were quick to commend employees and demand increased measures. A labor official said he would be “seeking urgent discussions with authorities, rail employers and law enforcement to guarantee that we have the strongest available assistance, tools and robust procedures in operation”.
A different association representative urged the rail company and authorities “to act swiftly to review security, to help the impacted workers, and to ensure that no incident like this happens again”.
Driver Praised for Rapid Thinking
The train driver who stopped the train at Huntingdon was reported as being “deeply affected” but “good”, and has been praised by union representatives for doing “exactly the right thing”.
“He didn’t stop the service in the center of two stops where it’s obviously challenging for the emergency services to access, but he continued traveling until he arrived to Huntingdon, where the response was almost already there,” stated a union official.
Further Information
Authorities stated they got the initial emergency calls at 7:39 pm, and the service was forced to make an unscheduled stop in Huntingdon at 7:50 pm.
One witness recounted at first thinking if the situation was a Halloween joke, but quickly understood from individuals' expressions that it was serious.
Authorities have confirmed there is nothing to suggest the incident was a terror-related incident and have asked the public to come forward with any additional details.
Rail services on the impacted line are expected to experience disruption until the following day, with passengers advised to defer their journeys where possible.
Individuals with details that could help the inquiry are encouraged to reach authorities by sending a message a designated number with a reference code.
