Passengers expecting to travel on East Coast Main Line services have been warned of continued disruption after Saturday evening’s mass stabbing onboard a train from Doncaster to London.
British Transport Police (BTP) have confirmed that two people remain in a life-threatening condition following the bloody rampage, while two British nationals have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
LNER, which operates most intercity trains on the UK’s flagship route, said disruption to its services between London Kings Cross and Yorkshire was likely to last until Monday.
David Horne, managing director of LNER, said “We are deeply shocked and saddened by this serious incident, and our thoughts are very much with everyone involved.
"The safety and wellbeing of everyone affected will remain our priority. We will continue to do everything we can to support our customers and colleagues during this difficult time.”
What do we know about the train involved? What measures are in place for passenger safety? And what is the impact on train services today?
Simon Calder is at London King's Cross station – the intended destination for the train.
What service was involved?
The train involved in the 1 November incident was the 6.25pm LNER departure from Doncaster in South Yorkshire to London King's Cross. It left on time and called at Retford, Newark, Grantham and Peterborough.
The service departed from Peterborough on time at 7.30pm. One more call was expected 28 minutes later at Stevenage, with arrival in the capital scheduled for 8.23pm.
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The train was planned to travel through Huntingdon at 125mph on a fast track that does not have access to a platform.
While the attack was happening, the LNER train driver, their control room and Network Rail signallers were able to divert the train to the slow line and bring it to a halt at the first available station within 14 minutes of departure from Peterborough, with armed police attending.
This was an extraordinarily swift response. The outcome could have been far worse, had the train either stopped short of the station – with access and escape difficult – or continued to Stevenage, .
What security is in place on trains?
CCTV cameras are standard onboard trains, but passengers are especially vulnerable to attackers while travelling at 125mph in a confined space.
Currently the only pre-boarding check for passengers happens at London St Pancras International, with all Eurostar passengers and their baggage checked before departure to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. This is because the Channel Tunnel is perceived to be a key terrorist target.
For trains within the UK, British Transport Police patrol trains and stations, but the force has fewer than 3,000 officers – on a network with five million journeys a day. The BTP says patrols will be stepped up in the next few days.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said passengers would see "a high visibility presence" of police at railway stations and on trains on Sunday "to reassure the public".
She added: "My thoughts are with those who have been impacted by the shocking incident in Huntingdon last night, especially those still in hospital today.
"I'd like to pay enormous tribute to the staff and officers who responded, and the public for their patience and cooperation.
"Trains are now running in the area, however Huntingdon station remains closed with trains passing through.
"Passengers will see a high visibility presence of officers at stations and on trains throughout today who are there to reassure the public."
Rail firms will consider increasing the number of security staff on trains. There are likely to be calls for airport-style security checks before boarding trains. But given the sheer number of travellers and the constraints at stations, that seems impractical.
What are the unions calling for?
The leader of the biggest rail union, the RMT, has praised “the professionalism, bravery and steadfastness “ of the workers who responded to the knife attack.
General secretary Eddie Dempsey added: “I will be seeking urgent meetings with government, rail employers and police to ensure that we have the strongest possible support, resources and robust procedures in place to protect our members and the travelling public.”
The TSSA union, representing white-collar rail staff, highlighted “the urgent need for preventive measures, heightened security, and zero-tolerance towards aggression on our transport system”. The union is seeking assurances “that the rail workforce receives all necessary support, including counselling and time off when needed’.
What is the effect on travel today?
As police continue to investigate the knife attack on a train that ended at Huntingdon station, rail passengers have been warned: “LNER services between London Kings Cross and Peterborough may be cancelled, revised or delayed.”
National Rail issued an early morning update about disruption on Monday after the weekend’s knife attack on a train travelling from Doncaster to London.
The train was diverted to Huntingdon, where the emergency services helped passengers and crew.
The LNER train remains a crime scene that police are investigating.
Passengers are warned: “The emergency services are continuing to deal with a major incident between Hitchin and Peterborough. Whilst they carry out their work some lines are still closed. Great Northern and Thameslink services will not call at Huntingdon.”
LNER posted on X: “We expect to run a normal service today. We still recommend checking your journey closer to the time, using our journey checker. If you have an Advance Single ticket [for Monday] then please travel on your booked service.”
The train operator says unused LNER tickets for 1-2 November are valid for travel up to and including 7 November.
“You don’t need to change or amend your ticket, but LNER recommend making a seat reservation before you travel,” the rail firm said.
Weekend engineering work in the York area has now ended meaning trains can now run between London, northeast England and Scotland once again.
The train, a crime scene, is still blocking one track on the East Coast Main Line at Huntingdon, slowing services.
The route normally connects London King’s Cross with Yorkshire, northeast England and Scotland, but planned engineering work in the York area means no trains are running beyond Doncaster.
With a number of cancellations, some LNER trains are making additional calls, which is adding to delays.
The rail firm says: “Rail replacement buses will run between Newark Northgate and Lincoln in both directions in placed of cancelled train services on this route.”
LNER tickets for Saturday or Sunday can be used on Monday or Tuesday, though the train operators recommends making a fresh reservation.
Services between London King's Cross on Grand Central to West Yorkshire and Hull Trains are near normal.
Are train drivers taught to deal with situations like this?
Train drivers are highly trained to handle all manner of unusual circumstances and emergency scenarios. Everything is rooted in safety, and getting passengers to the safest possible location as swiftly as possible is paramount.
On this occasion the driver, along with LNER crew and control room staff, as well as Network Rail, responded with great skill and professionalism.
