Courageous Rail Employee Suffers Life-Threatening Injuries Amid Mass Stabbing Attack on Express Train
A courageous train employee who stepped in to save travelers during a mass knife attack on a express train has sustained life-threatening injuries, authorities confirmed on Sunday.
Details of the Terrifying Incident
Surveillance footage reportedly depicts the staff member attempting to stop the assailant as the train journeyed between a city and Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. Witnesses described a terrifying 14-minute duration after the train left Peterborough, with injured victims running through carriages.
The individual, a 32-year-old citizen from Peterborough, is in custody for interrogation. Authorities declared a significant incident on the 6:25 pm service from Peterborough to King's Cross in central London.
Emergency Response and Consequences
The incident on the weekend led to 11 people being cared for in hospital after the train made an unscheduled stop at the station in Huntingdon. Five individuals have now been discharged from medical care.
A bystander filmed the suspect brandishing a large knife and being subdued with a stun device as he confronted officers on the platform. He was allegedly heard shouting, "End my life, kill me."
“This was a horrific attack that has had a wide impact. Our sympathies go out to the injured and their loved ones – especially the courageous member of train personnel whose family are being assisted by specialist officers,” stated a senior law enforcement officer.
Labor Response and Calls for Measures
Train unions were quick to praise employees and demand more action. A labor leader said he would be “requesting immediate meetings with authorities, rail employers and law enforcement to ensure that we have the best available support, tools and robust protocols in place”.
Another association representative encouraged the rail company and authorities “to act quickly to review safety, to support the affected employees, and to ensure that no incident like this happens again”.
Operator Commended for Quick Action
The train driver who halted the service at Huntingdon was described as being “deeply affected” but “good”, and has been commended by association representatives for doing “precisely what was needed”.
“The driver didn’t halt the train in the middle of two stops where it’s obviously difficult for the emergency services to access, but he carried on traveling until he arrived to Huntingdon, where the response was pretty much already there,” stated a association official.
Additional Details
Police stated they got the first distress calls at 7:39 pm, and the train was forced to make an unscheduled stop in Huntingdon at 7:50 pm.
One observer described at first wondering if the event was a holiday prank, but quickly realized from individuals' faces that it was real.
Authorities have stated there is nothing to suggest the event was a terror-related attack and have asked the community to come forward with any further details.
Rail services on the impacted route are expected to have disruption until the following day, with passengers recommended to defer their journeys where possible.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation are asked to contact police by texting a specific number with a reference code.