Two British men have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a horrifying stabbing rampage on a train headed for London. This violent incident, which occurred on Saturday evening, resulted in 11 people being hospitalized with serious injuries, according to police reports released on Sunday morning.
Authorities have stated that they do not believe the attack is related to terrorism, but they have not disclosed any potential motive behind the brutal spree that forced a commuter train traveling from northern England to make an emergency stop. Of the 11 individuals injured, four have been released from the hospital, while two remain in life-threatening condition, as confirmed by officials on Sunday.
The suspects, aged 32 and 35, are British nationals born in the United Kingdom. John Loveless, the superintendent of the British Transport Police, emphasized in a statement, “At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that this is a terrorist incident. We continue to work to establish the full circumstances and motivation for this incident. At this early stage, it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident.”
This attack is part of a troubling trend of recent stabbings in Britain, contributing to a heightened sense of unease among the public. Just last month, a man attacked worshippers at a synagogue in Manchester during Yom Kippur, resulting in one death and several injuries. Additionally, a 22-year-old man was charged with murder and attempted murder following a triple stabbing in west London that claimed the life of a man walking his dog.
The train attack has prompted swift condemnation from leaders across Britain. Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his concern via social media, calling the incident “deeply concerning.” He extended his thoughts to all those affected and thanked the emergency services for their prompt response. On the BBC’s “Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg” program, he noted, “For now, the early reports suggest this was an isolated incident. So from the public’s point of view, there’s no reason not to continue traveling.”
Witnesses aboard the train described scenes of chaos and panic as the train sped towards London’s King’s Cross station. Passenger Olly Foster recounted the terrifying experience to the BBC, stating, “We ran from the back of the train to the end as everyone was screaming to run, explaining there was somebody stabbing everyone and everything.” He further described the horrifying sight of blood on numerous seats, coming from two men who had been severely injured.
As soon as the train made its emergency stop, passengers flooded onto the platform, where fellow travelers and paramedics rushed to help the wounded. Transport police reported that the first calls regarding the attack were received at 7:42 p.m. concerning the 6:25 p.m. service from Doncaster to London. Train engineers executed an emergency stop at Huntingdon, where armed officers from Cambridgeshire Police boarded to handle the situation. Mr. Loveless confirmed that the two suspects were arrested “within eight minutes” of the initial emergency call.
In light of the ongoing investigation, officials have warned that the rail network will experience disruptions on Sunday. To ensure public safety, Mr. Loveless announced that police would be deploying additional resources to trains and train stations. "Passengers will see a high visibility presence of police officers at stations and on trains throughout today who are there to reassure the public and respond to any concerns,” he stated.
