Brave Train Staff Member Receives Severe Wounds Amid Multiple Knife Attack on High-Speed Service
A courageous train employee who intervened to save travelers during a mass knife attack on a express train has sustained life-threatening injuries, authorities stated on Sunday.
Details of the Terrifying Event
Surveillance video reportedly shows the employee trying to halt the assailant as the train traveled between a city and Huntingdon in the county. Witnesses recounted a frightening 14-minute duration after the train left Peterborough, with injured passengers running through carriages.
The suspect, a 32-year-old citizen from Peterborough, is in custody for questioning. Authorities declared a significant incident on the 6:25 pm service from Peterborough to King's Cross in central London.
Emergency Reaction and Aftermath
The event on the weekend resulted in 11 people being cared for in hospital after the train made an unplanned stop at platform 2 in Huntingdon. Several people have since been discharged from hospital.
A bystander recorded the individual waving a big knife and being shot with a stun device as he confronted officers on the platform. He was allegedly heard yelling, "End my life, kill me."
“This was a horrific attack that has had a wide impact. We are thinking of the victims and their families – particularly the courageous employee of rail staff whose relatives are being assisted by trained officers,” stated a senior law enforcement official.
Labor Response and Appeals for Action
Rail associations were quick to commend employees and demand more measures. One labor leader stated he would be “seeking immediate discussions with government, train companies and law enforcement to guarantee that we have the strongest possible assistance, tools and effective procedures in operation”.
A different union leader encouraged the train operator and government “to act quickly to review safety, to help the impacted employees, and to ensure that no incident like this occurs again”.
Operator Commended for Rapid Thinking
The operator who halted the train at Huntingdon was described as being “very shaken” but “well”, and has been praised by union representatives for doing “exactly the right thing”.
“He didn’t halt the service in the middle of two stations where it’s obviously challenging for the emergency services to access, but he carried on going until he arrived to Huntingdon, where the response was almost already there,” explained a association representative.
Additional Information
Police stated they received the first emergency reports at 7:39 pm, and the train was compelled to make an unplanned stop in Huntingdon at 7:50 pm.
One witness described at first wondering if the event was a Halloween joke, but soon understood from people's faces that it was real.
Police have stated there is no evidence to indicate the incident was a terror-related incident and have requested the public to come forward with any further information.
Train operations on the affected line are expected to have disruption until Monday, with passengers advised to postpone their journeys where feasible.
Anyone with details that could assist the inquiry are encouraged to contact police by texting a designated number with a case code.
