Courageous Train Staff Member Receives Severe Wounds Amid Multiple Knife Attack on High-Speed Service
A brave railway employee who stepped in to save travelers during a multiple stabbing incident on a express train has sustained critical injuries, police stated on Sunday.
Details of the Terrifying Event
CCTV footage reportedly depicts the employee trying to stop the attacker as the train traveled between Peterborough and another station in Cambridgeshire. Witnesses recounted a frightening 14-minute duration after the train departed Peterborough, with injured victims fleeing through carriages.
The suspect, a 32-year-old British national from Peterborough, is in detention for interrogation. Authorities declared a significant event on the 6:25 pm service from Peterborough to King's Cross in downtown London.
Emergency Reaction and Consequences
The event on Saturday night led to 11 people being cared for in hospital after the train made an unscheduled stop at platform 2 in Huntingdon. Several people have since been released from medical care.
A witness recorded the suspect brandishing a big knife and being shot with a Taser as he confronted police on the station. He was allegedly heard shouting, "Kill me, end my life."
“This terrible incident has affected many people. We are thinking of the victims and their families – particularly the brave employee of train personnel whose family are being assisted by specialist personnel,” stated a high-ranking police official.
Labor Response and Appeals for Measures
Train associations were quick to commend employees and demand increased action. A union leader said he would be “seeking urgent meetings with government, rail employers and law enforcement to ensure that we have the best available assistance, resources and robust procedures in operation”.
Another association leader encouraged the train operator and authorities “to act swiftly to review safety, to support the impacted workers, and to ensure nothing like this happens again”.
Operator Commended for Rapid Action
The operator who stopped the train at Huntingdon was reported as being “deeply affected” but “good”, and has been commended by union officials for doing “precisely what was needed”.
“He didn’t stop the train in the center of two stations where it’s clearly difficult for the emergency services to access, but he carried on going until he arrived to Huntingdon, where the response was pretty much waiting,” explained a association official.
Additional Details
Authorities said they received the first distress reports at 7:39 pm, and the train was compelled to make an unplanned stop in Huntingdon at 7:50 pm.
An observer recounted at first thinking if the situation was a holiday joke, but quickly realized from people's expressions that it was serious.
Authorities have stated there is nothing to indicate the incident was a terrorist attack and have requested the public to provide with any additional information.
Train services on the impacted line are anticipated to experience disruption until Monday, with travelers advised to defer their travel where possible.
Anyone with details that could help the investigation are asked to contact police by texting a specific number with a case code.