TL;DR
- Two men were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a mass stabbing on a train from Doncaster to London, leaving two individuals in life-threatening condition, and nine others injured.
- The police response was swift, with arrests made within eight minutes of the emergency call, and officers deployed to the train within 20 minutes.
- Investigations indicate that the attack is not linked to terrorism; motivations are being explored by law enforcement as the incident has drawn widespread condemnation and concern from authorities.
Two people in life-threatening condition after train mass stabbing – as police give details on suspects | UK News
Two men have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a mass stabbing on a train left two people with life-threatening injuries.
At least nine more people were injured in the attack on a train from Doncaster to London King’s Cross on Saturday night.
Police made the arrests within eight minutes of the 999 call being made, Superintendent John Loveless from British Transport Police said.
Officers were deployed to Huntingdon station in Cambridgeshire after the first 999 report at 7.42pm on Saturday and boarded the train.
Train stabbing latest: Two victims still fighting for lives
Two men were being held at separate police stations and questioned on suspicion of attempted murder, Sup Loveless said.
One is a 32-year-old male, a black British national, and the other is a 35-year-old man, a British national of Caribbean descent. Both were born in the UK.
In a statement, the King and Queen said they were “truly appalled and shocked to hear of the dreadful knife attack,” and offered their “deepest sympathy and thoughts” to those affected.
In total, 11 people were treated in hospital – nine were initially reported as having life-threatening injuries. By late Sunday morning, two patients remained in a life-threatening condition, Sup Loveless told reporters at Huntingdon railway station.
“Following assessment and treatment, four – I’m thankful to say – have been discharged.”
A witness told Sky News that police fired a Taser at a man with a large knife, after he went on a bloody rampage on the high-speed train.
Police examine ‘motivations’ for attack
There was “nothing to suggest that this is a terrorist incident”, Sup Loveless said, adding that the investigation would continue to examine the “motivations” which led to the attack.
“At this early stage, it would not be appropriate to speculate on the cause of this incident,” he added.
Counter-terrorism police were initially supporting the investigation.
Armed police, paramedics, air ambulances, and transport police were deployed to the train – the 6.25pm London North Eastern Railway (LNER) service from Doncaster to London King’s Cross.
Witnesses told Sky News the stabbings started a few minutes after the train left Peterborough and passengers sounded the emergency alarm.
People described how some passengers were trampling over each other and hiding in the toilets to escape.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it was an “appalling incident” and was “deeply concerning”.
“My thoughts are with all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services for their response,” he wrote on X.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood posted on X, calling it a “horrific attack” and paying tribute to the “exceptional bravery of staff and passengers”.
Meanwhile, shadow home secretary Chris Philp wrote on X: “Horrific scenes in Huntingdon, in what seems to be a brutal mass attack by two perpetrators.”
“My thoughts are with all those injured or affected and the emergency services responding.”
‘Shocked and frightened’ passengers
Defence Secretary John Healey spoke to Sky News on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips and said he took the same train route just hours before the attack.
“It’s the service I use every week to get home to Rotherham, so I can’t begin to imagine how shocked and frightened those passengers were.”
Asked by Phillips if the attack has changed the UK’s terror threat level, he says no and that it remains “substantial” – meaning an attack is considered “likely”.
‘Like a horror film’
Mayor of Huntingdon, Councillor Audrey McAdam, told Sky News she was “very emotional” after hearing about the stabbing and said it must have been like a “horror film” for the passengers.
“I’m still in shock… I’m very emotional, and as soon as I found out, I thought, ‘oh no’.
“I’m worried about the people actually in hospital at this moment… it’s something I never thought would ever happen around Huntingdon… it’s something so dreadful.
“But to live in that moment… it’s a horror film… complete horror. I just cannot imagine what the people must have [been] feeling… When you’re stuck on a train, what can you do? A moving train.”
An ‘incredible’ response from emergency services
Huntingdon MP Ben Obese-Jecty spoke to Sky News at the scene on Saturday night. He said: “When I first arrived here, I’ve simply never seen as big a response to an emergency incident as there was in terms of police, fire and ambulance.”
On Sunday morning, Mr Obese-Jecty spoke again about the “rapid, incredible response” and praised the “brave officers who came to try and neutralise that threat”.
The chief constable of Cambridgeshire Constabulary told him officers had been training for a similar emergency “only last week”. The MP also called for people to avoid guessing about the circumstances.
“I think also people need to keep cool heads at this time. I’ve seen an awful lot of speculation online and a lot of misinformation,” he added.
David Horne, managing director of LNER, said the company was “deeply shocked and saddened”.
National Rail says some train routes to and from London King’s Cross on LNER, Great Northern and Thameslink services face disruption on Sunday.
A spokesperson for the Rail, Maritime and Transport union also said they were “horrified” by the attack.
“Our thoughts remain with the train crew and passengers who were either at work or going about their business on a busy Saturday night during this awful incident.”