Several people were injured in a knife attack on a train in Cambridgeshire, east England, on Saturday afternoon, which led to the arrest of two suspects and triggered a wide police and emergency response.
The incident, described as a multiple stabbing, occurred at approximately 7:39 p.m. on a London North Eastern Railway (LNER) train bound for Huntingdon, about 120 kilometers from London.
The British Transport Police (BTP) told X that its personnel, along with armed officers from Cambridgeshire Constabulary, responded immediately after receiving reports of several stabbings inside the train.
The arrests were made when the train made an emergency stop at Huntingdon station, where a major security operation was deployed.
Police sources, quoted by BTP on X, indicated that several injured people were rushed to a hospital for medical treatment. No details have been released regarding the severity of the injuries or the identities of the victims, and authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the motive for the attack.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer addressed the incident on the X network. “The horrific incident on a train near Huntingdon is deeply concerning,” he said.
Cambridgeshire Police said that, as part of the operation, the A1307 road leading to the city center was closed to facilitate police and emergency operations in the area.
Witnesses told local media that some passengers were forced to hide in the train's restrooms during the attack, due to the presence of an assailant armed with a"large knife." Fear and confusion reigned in the moments that followed, until the arrival of police officers, who arrested the suspects.
The incident involved at least two assailants, according to authorities and witnesses. According to information provided by the BTP, the attack began shortly after the train left Peterborough station.
The situation sparked expressions of solidarity and concern on social media and in local news outlets. Alex Bulat, a Labour councillor in the area, sent a message to residents via Facebook, calling the incident “truly disturbing” and expressing that her “thoughts are with the victims and their families.” Chris Philip, Minister for Justice and Home Office Secretary, expressed his dismay at the “horrific scenes” witnessed in Huntingdon and called on the police and government to provide updates as soon as possible regarding the case and those arrested.
The British Transport Police have appealed through their official channels for anyone who witnessed the incident or has relevant information to contact the authorities to assist with the investigation. A significant police presence remains at and around the station as the investigation continues.
The phenomenon of knife crime in England and Wales has been steadily increasing since 2011, according to official government data. Although the UK has some of the strictest firearms legislation in the world, Prime Minister Keir Starmerhas described the spread of knife use as a “national crisis.”
The Labour government has implemented various measures to curb this type of crime. According to the British Home Office, nearly 60,000 knives have been “seized or voluntarily surrendered” in England and Wales as part of the official strategy to halve knife crime over the next decade.
And, according to government sources, stabbing deaths fell by 18 percent over the past year.
