Brave Rail Staff Member Receives Critical Wounds Amid Multiple Knife Attack on High-Speed Service
A valiant train staff member who intervened to protect travelers during a multiple knife attack on a express train has sustained critical injuries, police confirmed on Sunday.
Details of the Frightening Incident
Surveillance footage reportedly shows the staff member attempting to stop the attacker as the train journeyed between a city and another station in the county. Bystanders described a terrifying 14-minute period after the train departed Peterborough, with injured victims fleeing through carriages.
The suspect, a 32-year-old citizen from Peterborough, remains in detention for interrogation. Authorities declared a significant event on the 6:25 pm service from Peterborough to King's Cross in central London.
Emergency Reaction and Aftermath
The incident on Saturday night led to 11 people being cared for in hospital after the train made an unplanned stop at the station in Huntingdon. Several people have now been discharged from medical care.
A witness recorded the suspect brandishing a large knife and being subdued with a stun device as he confronted police on the platform. He was allegedly heard yelling, "End my life, kill me."
“This terrible incident has affected many people. We are thinking of the victims and their families – especially the brave employee of rail staff whose family are being supported by trained officers,” stated a high-ranking police official.
Union Response and Appeals for Measures
Train associations were swift to praise staff and demand more action. A union official stated he would be “requesting urgent meetings with government, rail employers and police to guarantee that we have the strongest available assistance, resources and effective protocols in operation”.
Another union representative urged the rail company and government “to move swiftly to examine safety, to help the impacted workers, and to make sure nothing like this occurs again”.
Driver Commended for Rapid Thinking
The operator who halted 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 did not stop the service in the middle of two stations where it’s clearly challenging for the first responders to access, but he continued going until he arrived to Huntingdon, where the assistance was pretty much already there,” explained a union official.
Additional Information
Police said they got the initial distress calls at 7:39 pm, and the train was compelled to make an unplanned stop in Huntingdon at 7:50 pm.
An observer described initially thinking if the situation was a holiday prank, but soon realized from people's expressions that it was serious.
Police have stated there is nothing to indicate the incident was a terror-related incident and have asked the public to provide with any additional details.
Train operations on the impacted line are expected to have disruption until the following day, with passengers advised to postpone their journeys where possible.
Individuals with information that could assist the investigation are encouraged to reach authorities by texting a specific number with a case code.