Maia Davies & Harry Sekulich
“Run, there’s a guy stabbing everyone”: Eyewitnesses describe attack
Passengers travelling from Doncaster to London have been attacked in a mass stabbing on Saturday night.
Ten people were injured and taken to hospital. Nine of them are believed to have life-threatening injuries.
Witnesses reported that police used a Taser on one man who was holding a knife. Two people were arrested.
Counter-terror police have joined the investigation. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the attack was “appalling” and “deeply concerning”.
Here is what we know so far about what happened.
Where did the stabbings happen?
The attack took place on the 18:25 GMT London North Eastern Railway (LNER) service from Doncaster to London’s King Cross station on Saturday.
Passengers said at least one person brandishing a knife began stabbing people on the train after it passed through Peterborough in Cambridgeshire.
Police received calls from passengers on board the train at around 19:40, alerting them to the attack.
PA Media
Emergency crews and police rushed to Huntingdon station in Cambridgeshire after 999 calls from the London-bound train
The train made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon – which is some 15 minutes from Peterborough by train.
Armed police then boarded the train and arrested two people, whose identities are not yet known.
A large emergency service response was also sent to the scene, including air ambulances.
Altogether, the incident was estimated to last roughly 10 to 15 minutes.
The uninjured passengers were interviewed by police and some boarded a coach bound for London.
Huntingdon MP Ben Obese-Jecty told the BBC there were about 10 ambulances, several fire engines and “well over 20 police cars” when he first arrived at the scene just after 21:00.
A police presence remained at the scene on Sunday morning and forensics tents had been put up.
What do we know about the victims?
Emergency crews took 10 people, nine of whom are believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries, according to police.
Their identities are not yet known.
They were taken to to Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, which is about a 30-minute drive from the train station.
What have eyewitnesses said?
Witnesses told the BBC of panic and confusion as passengers ran through the carriages, some wounded and bloodied.
Olly Foster said he heard people shouting “run, there’s a guy stabbing literally everyone and everything” – and thought at first it might have been a Halloween-type prank.
He saw an older man with gashes on his head and neck after he “blocked” the attacker from stabbing a younger girl. Passengers then used their jackets to try to staunch the bleeding.
Watch: Police rush to scene of Cambridgeshire train attack
Another witness, Wren Chambers, said one person had been stabbed in the arm and bolted down the train to alert others – while another shouted “someone’s got a knife”.
Some passengers hid inside the toilets while others swarmed towards the front of the train.
London Underground worker Dean McFarlane said he saw multiple people running down the platform at Huntingdon bleeding, with one man in a white shirt “completely covered in blood”.
What have police said?
British Transport Police (BTP) has declared a major incident and counter-terrorism officers are supporting the investigation “to establish the full circumstances and motivation for this incident”.
Ch Supt Chris Casey said: “We’re conducting urgent enquiries to establish what has happened, and it could take some time before we are in a position to confirm anything further.
“At this early stage it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident.”
The force said it had at one point declared “Plato” – the national code word used by emergency services when responding to a “marauding terror attack” – but later rescinded it.
What has the reaction been?
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the “appalling incident on a train near Huntingdon is deeply concerning”.
He wrote on X: “My thoughts are with all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services for their response.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was receiving regular updates on the investigation and urged people to “avoid comment and speculation at this early stage”.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she was “deeply disturbed by the reports emerging from Huntingdon”.
“This is an absolutely horrific attack and my thoughts are with all those affected including the emergency responders at the scene.”
What is happening with train services?
LNER, which operates East Coast Mainline services, urged passengers to avoid travelling on Sunday 2 November.
Ticketholders who are no longer planning to travel will be eligible for a full refund.
Unused weekend LNER tickets dated either Saturday 1 November or Sunday 2 November will be valid until Tuesday 4 November.
Customers who cannot avoid travelling on Sunday are advised to check their journey as there may be cancellations or alterations.
Passengers are able to use their tickets on the following services without incurring extra cost:
• Avanti West Coast between London Euston, Manchester
• TransPennine Express between Manchester, Leeds and York/Newcastle
• ScotRail between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley
• Northern between Carlisle and Newcastle
• East Midlands Railway (EMR) between London St Pancras, Leicester and Sheffield.
• CrossCountry between Sheffield, Doncaster/Leeds, York and Newcastle/Edinburgh
• Greater Anglia between London Liverpool Street, Stevenage and Peterborough.
• Great Northern and Thameslink between London Kings Cross, Stevenage and Peterborough
• London Northwestern Railway services from Euston
LNER said delays were expected across the train system, including from other services and operators in the East of England and London, throughout Sunday.
Thameslink tickets that were not used on Saturday would be valid for Sunday.
