A routine railway journey was plunged into chaos when multiple people were stabbed aboard a train speeding through eastern England.
Two men were initially arrested over the Saturday evening attack, which left almost a dozen people injured. Police later released one of the men saying he was not involved in the attack.
Police are still working to uncover a motive, but say it doesn’t appear to be an act of terrorism.
The train was heading for London
The train left Doncaster in northern England at 6:25 p.m., bound for London’s King’s Cross station. It was about halfway into its 2-hour journey and had just departed from a stop at Peterborough when police began receiving calls about people being stabbed onboard.
Passengers described panicked travelers, some covered in blood, rushing down the aisle of the train to get away from the carriage where the violence was unfolding.
Olly Foster said he heard someone yelling, “Run, run, there is a guy stabbing literally everyone,” and at first thought it was a Halloween prank — until he noticed blood on his hand from touching seats in the train carriage.
“Everyone was really pushing behind us, really panicking,” Foster told the BBC. He said he saw several people bleeding heavily from wounds.
Police responded within minutes
The British Transport Police, which handles security on the railways, said it received the first emergency calls at 7:42 p.m.
Within minutes, several dozen police officers, including specialist firearms officers, and paramedics were at the train station in Huntingdon, a town about 75 miles (120 kilometers) north of London.
Soon after, the train made an unscheduled stop at the station and passengers streamed onto the platform as armed police officers ran toward the train.
Two suspects initially detained, one later released
British Transport Police said that within eight minutes of the first emergency calls, officers from Cambridgeshire Constabulary, the local force, had boarded the train and detained two men.
Witnesses said officers used a Taser to subdue one suspect who was holding a large knife.
Police later released one of the detained men, a 35-year-old British citizen, without charge, saying detectives had established that he was not involved in the attack.
The remaining suspect is a 32-year-old British man who is being questioned on suspicion of attempted murder. Police say they are not looking for anyone else.
Two victims are in life-threatening condition
Police said 10 people were taken to nearby hospitals and an 11th went to a hospital on their own.
Initially, nine were classed as having life-threatening injuries. But by Sunday evening police said only one remained in life-threatening condition: a railway staff member who tried to stop the attack. Police called his actions “nothing short of heroic.”
Police seek a motive but say it’s not terror
Police Supt. John Loveless said counterterror police were initially called in to support the investigation, but that “at this stage, there is nothing to suggest that this is a terrorist incident.”
He said the investigation is being led by British Transport Police, and “it would not be appropriate to speculate on the cause of this incident.”
On Sunday the train remained at Huntingdon station and police wearing forensic suits, with a police dog, were working on the platform.
Leaders express sympathy
Senior politicians and royalty expressed concern and sympathy for the victims and their friends and families.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood paid tribute “to the exceptional bravery of staff and passengers on the train.”
King Charles III said he and Queen Camilla were “appalled and shocked.”
“Our deepest sympathy and thoughts are with all those affected, and their loved ones,” the royal couple said in a statement. “We are particularly grateful to the emergency services for their response to this awful incident.”
—AP
