Brave Train Employee Endures Life-Threatening Injuries Amid Multiple Knife Incident on Express Service
A brave train employee who stepped in to protect passengers during a mass knife incident on a high-speed train has sustained critical wounds, authorities stated on Sunday.
Particulars of the Terrifying Incident
Surveillance video allegedly depicts the employee trying to stop the assailant as the train journeyed between a city and another station in Cambridgeshire. Bystanders described a frightening 14-minute duration after the train departed Peterborough, with injured victims running through carriages.
The suspect, a 32-year-old British national from Peterborough, remains in detention 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 Aftermath
The incident on Saturday night resulted in 11 people being cared for in hospital after the train made an unscheduled stop at the station in Huntingdon. Several individuals have now been discharged from hospital.
A bystander recorded the individual waving a large knife and being subdued with a Taser as he confronted police on the station. He was allegedly heard yelling, "End my life, kill me."
“This terrible incident has affected many people. My thoughts and those of everyone in British Transport Police are with those injured and their families – particularly the brave member of rail staff whose relatives are being supported by specialist personnel,” stated a high-ranking law enforcement officer.
Union Response and Appeals for Action
Rail unions were swift to praise staff and demand increased action. One labor official stated he would be “requesting immediate meetings with government, train companies and law enforcement to ensure that we have the best possible assistance, tools and effective procedures in operation”.
A different union representative encouraged the train operator and authorities “to move quickly to examine safety, to help the impacted employees, and to make sure nothing like this occurs again”.
Driver Commended for Rapid Action
The operator who stopped the train at Huntingdon was described as being “very shaken” but “good”, and has been praised by union officials for doing “exactly the right thing”.
“The driver didn’t halt the train in the center of two stations where it’s obviously difficult for the first responders to access, but he continued traveling until he arrived to Huntingdon, where the response was almost already there,” stated a union representative.
Further Details
Police stated they received the initial distress reports at 7:39 pm, and the train was compelled to make an unscheduled stop in Huntingdon at 7:50 pm.
One witness described at first thinking if the situation was a Halloween joke, but soon understood from individuals' faces that it was serious.
Authorities have stated there is no evidence to indicate the incident was a terror-related incident and have asked the community to provide with any additional details.
Train operations on the affected route are expected to have disruption until Monday, with passengers recommended to postpone their travel where possible.
Individuals with information that could assist the investigation are asked to reach police by sending a message a designated number with a case code.