A railway staff member who bravely confronted a knife-wielding attacker on board a packed train is in a critical but stable condition, police have confirmed.
The London North Eastern Railway (LNER) employee stepped in to protect passengers during Saturday night’s stabbing spree on a service from Doncaster to London King’s Cross. The attack forced the train to make an emergency stop at Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, shortly before 8pm.
A 32-year-old man from Peterborough has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and is being treated as the sole suspect. A second man, 35, initially detained at the scene, has since been released with no further action.
British Transport Police praised the injured staff member’s courage, saying his actions “undoubtedly saved lives”. CCTV footage reportedly shows the worker putting himself between the knifeman and passengers before being seriously wounded.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to address the incident in Parliament later today, while Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed that five victims remain in hospital. “One is the member of train crew who this morning is in a critical but stable condition,” she said. “He went into work to do his job – and left a hero.”
A surge in police presence has been ordered across major stations including London, Birmingham, Leeds, York and Manchester as detectives continue their investigation. Officers have recovered a knife from the scene and ruled out terrorism as a motive.
Passengers described chaotic and terrifying scenes as panic spread through the carriages. One eyewitness, Amira Ostalski, said: “It was like he had a mission to stab anyone he saw. There was blood everywhere – people were screaming and trying to run. It was horrible.”
The train’s driver, former Royal Navy Chief Petty Officer Andrew Johnson, has also been hailed for his quick thinking after diverting the train onto a slow track to allow emergency crews to board within minutes.
Nigel Roebuck from the rail union Aslef praised the crew, saying: “They showed real courage, real dedication, and real determination in the most difficult circumstances. Our thoughts are with their colleague who is still fighting for his life.”
Police have confirmed the suspect was not known to counter-terror officers, MI5, or the Prevent programme.
LNER Managing Director David Horne said the company was “deeply shocked and saddened”, adding: “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected, particularly our colleague in a life-threatening condition. His bravery saved lives that night.”
