What we know so far
It’s nearing 6am in London and if you are just catching up with the news, here is a quick recap of what we know so far about the Cambridgeshire train stabbing attack.
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Nine people have been hospitalised with life-threatening injuries after a mass stabbing on a train travelling from Doncaster to London King’s Cross on Saturday evening. A tenth person suffered nonlife-threatening injuries.
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A man with a large knife is believed to have been shot with a Taser by police after the attack on the high speed train after it left Peterborough station in Cambridgeshire.
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British Transport Police (BTP) said two people have been arrested over the stabbings which happened on the 6.25pm train service. Counter-terrorism police are also involved in the investigation.
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Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer described the attack as “deeply concerning”.
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Witnesses have spoken of seeing a man with a large knife and passengers hiding in the toilets to escape the rampage, The Times reported. One told the paper there was “blood everywhere” and people were getting “stamped” on by others as they tried to flee.
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London North Eastern Railway, which operates East Coast Mainline services in the UK, said disruption to services in the area was expected to last until Monday, with passengers advised to defer travel.
Key events
Mayor of London describes Cambridgeshire train stabbing as ‘deeply concerning’
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has described the “horrific” attack as “deeply concerning” and said he is in “close contact” with the Metropolitan police to ensure all “necessary support is provided”.
In a post to X this morning, he wrote:
The horrific incident on the train in Huntingdon is deeply concerning. My thoughts are with those injured and affected. I am grateful to our emergency services for their swift response.
I am in close contact with the Met and transport authorities to ensure all necessary support is provided. Anyone planning to travel on LNER services today should check before they travel.
The stabbing attack has caused widespread shock across the UK.
A spokesperson for the Rail, Maritime and Transport union said: “We are horrified by the mass stabbing attack on an LNER train last night.
“Our thoughts remain with the train crew and passengers who were either at work or going about their business on a busy Saturday night during this awful incident.
“It is important we allow the emergency services and authorities to establish the full facts before commenting further.”
At first he thought it was a sick Halloween joke.
Commuter Olly Foster had been listening to an audio book on the train as it sped through Cambridgeshire when a man ran past him, yelling “Run, run, there is a guy stabbing literally everyone, everything.”
But the horror on the man’s face told him it wasn’t a prank at all, Foster told the BBC, as he recounted the harrowing attack.
“You could kind of see in their faces they were being serious,” he said.
Foster grabbed his belongings as he and other passengers attempted to escape.
“Everyone was really pushing behind us, really panicking,” he said.
He described touching a chair that was covered in blood, and a brave man who was injured in neck as he tried to protect a young girl.
Unclear of what was coming next, Foster said he and another passenger were preparing for what would happen if an attacker emerged.
“We had a Jack Daniels bottle between us and that was it,” he said, “We were kind of sitting there with one Jack Daniels bottle just looking down the end of this carriage just praying someone doesn’t walk down with a knife, with a gun.”
It’s almost 7.30am in England, and we would expect an update from the British Transport Police this morning.
Here is their full statement from last night:
We can confirm that at 7.42pm today (1 November) British Transport Police were called to reports of a multiple stabbing on board the 6.25pm train service from Doncaster to London King’s Cross.
Officers immediately attended Huntingdon station alongside paramedics.
Armed police from Cambridgeshire Police boarded the train and arrested two people in connection to the incident who have been taken to police custody.
Ten people have been taken to hospital with nine believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries. One is being treated for non life-threatening injuries. There have been no fatalities.
This has been declared a major incident and Counter Terrorism Policing are supporting our investigation whilst we work to establish the full circumstances and motivation for this incident.
Chief Superintendent Chris Casey said: “This is a shocking incident and first and foremost my thoughts are with those who have been injured this evening and their families.
“We’re conducting urgent enquiries to establish what has happened, and it could take some time before we are in a position to confirm anything further. At this early stage it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident.
“Our response is ongoing at the station and will be for some time. Cordons are in place and trains are not currently running through the area, and there are also some road closures.
“I thank the public for their patience and their cooperation this evening which has already greatly assisted our policing response. We will update you again as soon as we have more information.”
Anyone with information who hasn’t already spoken to police is asked to contact BTP by texting 61016 quoting reference 663 of 01/11/25.
Some more images from the scene at Huntingdon Station are coming through:
What we know so far
It’s nearing 6am in London and if you are just catching up with the news, here is a quick recap of what we know so far about the Cambridgeshire train stabbing attack.
-
Nine people have been hospitalised with life-threatening injuries after a mass stabbing on a train travelling from Doncaster to London King’s Cross on Saturday evening. A tenth person suffered nonlife-threatening injuries.
-
A man with a large knife is believed to have been shot with a Taser by police after the attack on the high speed train after it left Peterborough station in Cambridgeshire.
-
British Transport Police (BTP) said two people have been arrested over the stabbings which happened on the 6.25pm train service. Counter-terrorism police are also involved in the investigation.
-
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer described the attack as “deeply concerning”.
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Witnesses have spoken of seeing a man with a large knife and passengers hiding in the toilets to escape the rampage, The Times reported. One told the paper there was “blood everywhere” and people were getting “stamped” on by others as they tried to flee.
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London North Eastern Railway, which operates East Coast Mainline services in the UK, said disruption to services in the area was expected to last until Monday, with passengers advised to defer travel.
Travel disruptions expected through to Monday
LNER, which operates East Coast Mainline services in the UK, said disruption to its services between London Kings Cross and Lincoln, Doncaster, Leeds, Bradford Forster Square and Harrogate was expected to last until Monday, with passengers advised to defer their travel where possible.
Knife crime in England and Wales has been steadily rising since 2011, according to official government data. While Britain has some of the strictest gun controls in the world, rampant knife crime has been branded a “national crisis” by Starmer. His government has tried to rein in the use of knives.
Nearly 60,000 blades have been either “seized or surrendered” in England and Wales as part of government efforts to halve knife crime within a decade, the interior ministry said on Wednesday.
Carrying a knife in public can be punishable by up to four years in prison, and the government said knife murders had dropped by 18% in the last year.
People at the scene of the train stabbing have described some horrifying details.
Olly Foster told the BBC he initially heard people shouting “run, run, there’s a guy literally stabbing everyone”, and believed it might have been a prank related to Halloween.
Foster said that people quickly started pushing through the carriage, and he noticed his hand was “covered in blood” as there was “blood all over the chair” he had leaned on.
An older man “blocked” the attacker from stabbing a younger girl, leaving him with injuries to his head and neck, Mr Foster said, adding other passengers used their clothing to try and stem the bleeding.
He said the incident “felt like forever”.
Here is a map showing the location of the incident:
Summary
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Nine people have been left with life-threatening injuries after a mass stabbing on a train travelling from Doncaster to London King’s Cross on Saturday. A tenth person suffered non life-threatening injuries.
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Counter-terrorism police are involved in the investigation.
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A man with a large knife is believed to have been shot with a Taser by police after the attack on a high speed train after it left Peterborough station in Cambridgeshire.
-
British Transport Police (BTP) said two people have been arrested over the stabbings which happened on the 6.25pm train service.
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Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer described the attack as “deeply concerning”.
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BTP said a major incident was declared, and at one point declared “Plato”, the national code word used by police and emergency services when responding to a “marauding terror attack”, before the latter declaration was subsequently rescinded.
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Witnesses have spoken of seeing a man with a large knife and passengers hiding in the toilets to escape the rampage, The Times reported. One told the paper there was “blood everywhere” and people were getting “stamped” on by others as they tried to flee.
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Images from the scene and from social media showed scores of blue-light police cars and emergency vehicles in a station car park, and a team of armed police running towards the stationary train at Huntingdon station. Officers wearing forensic suits, with a police dog, could be seen on the platform.
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The attack is understood to have started shortly after the LNER train left Peterborough station.
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Ch Supt Chris Casey said: “This is a shocking incident and first and foremost my thoughts are with those who have been injured this evening and their families … At this early stage it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident.”
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MP for Huntingdon Ben Obese-Jecty called the incident “appalling and devastating”.
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London North Eastern Railway, which operates East Coast Mainline services in the UK, said disruption to services in the area was expected to last until Monday, with passengers advised to defer their travel where possible.
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What we don’t yet know: the identity of the victims, and the identity of the arrested suspects.
David Horne, managing director of train operator London North Eastern Railway, said the company is “deeply shocked and saddened by this serious incident”.
He said in a statement: “Our thoughts are very much with everyone involved.”
“I would like to thank the emergency services for their quick and professional response and the care they have provided to those injured. Anyone with information who hasn’t already spoken to police is urged to contact British Transport Police.
“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.”
Here are some more images from the scene. It is 3am now in Cambridgeshire.
Home secretary urges public not to speculate
The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has urged the public to “avoid comment and speculation” in the wake of the stabbings and said she was receiving regular updates on the investigation.
I am deeply saddened to hear about the stabbings in Huntingdon.
My thoughts go out to all those affected.
Two suspects have been immediately arrested and taken into custody.
I am receiving regular updates on the investigation.
I urge people to avoid comment and…
— Shabana Mahmood MP (@ShabanaMahmood) November 1, 2025
