Courageous Rail Employee Receives Critical Wounds Amid Multiple Knife Attack on Express Service
A courageous railway staff member who stepped in to protect travelers during a multiple knife attack on a high-speed train has sustained critical injuries, police confirmed on Sunday.
Details of the Terrifying Event
Surveillance video reportedly depicts the employee attempting to stop the attacker as the train traveled between a city and Huntingdon in the county. Witnesses described a frightening 14-minute duration after the train left Peterborough, with injured passengers running through compartments.
The suspect, a 32-year-old citizen from Peterborough, is in custody for interrogation. Authorities announced a major incident on the 6:25 pm service from Peterborough to King's Cross in central London.
Emergency Reaction and Aftermath
The incident on the weekend resulted in 11 people being treated in medical facilities after the train made an unplanned stop at the station in Huntingdon. Five people have now been released from medical care.
A bystander recorded the suspect brandishing a big knife and being subdued with a Taser as he faced police on the platform. He was reportedly heard shouting, "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 member of rail staff whose relatives are being assisted by specialist officers,” stated a senior law enforcement officer.
Union Response and Calls for Measures
Rail unions were swift to praise staff and call for increased action. A union leader stated he would be “requesting immediate meetings with authorities, train companies and law enforcement to ensure that we have the strongest available assistance, tools and robust protocols in place”.
Another association representative urged the train operator and government “to move quickly to examine safety, to support the affected employees, and to ensure nothing like this occurs again”.
Operator Praised for Quick Thinking
The operator who halted the train at Huntingdon was reported as being “very shaken” but “good”, and has been commended by union officials for doing “precisely what was needed”.
“He did not halt the service in the middle of two stops where it’s clearly difficult for the first responders to access, but he carried on traveling until he arrived to Huntingdon, where the response was pretty much waiting,” explained a union official.
Additional Information
Authorities stated they got the first distress calls at 7:39 pm, and the service was compelled to make an unscheduled stop in Huntingdon at 7:50 pm.
An observer recounted at first wondering if the event was a Halloween joke, but soon understood from individuals' faces that it was real.
Police have stated there is no evidence to suggest the incident was a terror-related attack and have requested the community to provide with any further information.
Rail operations on the impacted line are expected to have delays until Monday, with travelers recommended to postpone their journeys where feasible.
Anyone with details that could assist the investigation are encouraged to reach authorities by texting a specific number with a case code.