Attack in England! 10 people were stabbed on a train

What happened

The attack occurred on an evening LNER service from Doncaster to London’s King’s Cross, with the assault beginning shortly after departure from Peterborough and the train subsequently being stopped at Huntingdon station in Cambridgeshire. The emergency call was received by police at around 19:39 GMT and dozens of officers from the British Transport Police and local police attended the scene. Huntingdon is about 120 kilometres north of London and the station was closed after the incident.

Police response

Armed units arrived on the platform, and witnesses said one of the attackers was subdued with a taser; two men were later detained. Police briefly activated the "Plato" code for a potential marauding attack response, which was later stood down as the situation stabilised. The response was accompanied by ambulance crews including an air ambulance, and forensic teams searched the train on the platform.

Victims and condition

A total of ten injured people were taken to hospital, with nine patients’ injuries described as life‑threatening, the British Transport Police confirmed. Police warned that confirming the circumstances and motive will take time and that it is premature to speculate. Authorities described the case as a "serious incident" and urged anyone with information to contact investigators.

Witness accounts from the train

Passengers said the attack began roughly ten minutes after leaving Peterborough, when the emergency alarm was triggered on the train and panic broke out. Some travellers hid from the attacker in toilets and others reported people being trampled in the chaos as they fled down the aisle. Witnesses also described seeing one of the attackers with a large knife before he was restrained.

Transport disruption

Services on the East Coast Main Line were severely disrupted by the incident and operator LNER urged passengers not to travel that evening if possible. LNER said all lines in the area were temporarily blocked, leading to significant delays and timetable changes. Restrictions were expected to remain in place until the end of the operating day while investigative work at the scene continued.

Political and official reactions

Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the event as a "shocking incident", expressed his sympathy for those affected and thanked the emergency services for their swift response. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was receiving ongoing updates, confirmed the detention of two suspects and urged the public to avoid speculation. Opposition and local officials described the scenes in Huntingdon as terrifying and praised the scale of the emergency response.

State of the investigation

Counter-terrorism police are now supporting the investigation to clarify the circumstances and motive, and no official information on the motives has yet been released. Police said confirming all the facts will take time and they will not speculate until initial investigative steps are complete. The public has been urged to provide any relevant recordings and witness accounts of the attack on the train between Peterborough and Huntingdon.