London (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – UK Police have arrested two individuals, and nine people are hospitalised with life-threatening injuries following a mass stabbing on a train from Doncaster to London’s King’s Cross on Saturday.
Nine individuals suffered life-threatening injuries following a series of stabbings on a train near Cambridge in eastern England on Saturday. Two men were arrested, an incident Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as “appalling.”
What led to the violent stabbing on the train?
Police reported that the attack occurred on the 6:25 pm train from Doncaster to London King’s Cross, shortly after the train left Peterborough station. Armed police quickly responded to Huntingdon railway station, where the incident, initially considered a major terror attack, took place. Witnesses described a man with a knife being subdued by police using a Taser.
Later, armed police were observed pointing their weapons at a man on a platform holding a large blade, according to a witness. The man was subsequently subdued with a taser and restrained.
What eyewitness accounts reveal details of the stabbing spree?
A witness aboard the train remembered seeing someone moving through the carriage, warning others.
“They’ve got a knife, I’ve been stabbed.”
The witness said the man was
“extremely bloodied” and that by the time the train stopped “they were basically on the floor”.
“That person ended up collapsing on the floor. They were taken to an ambulance pretty much straight away,”
he said.
Witnesses report that those injured in the attack were seen running along the train, fleeing from someone wielding a knife. One witness reported seeing between six and eight injured people, while another estimated that as many as 12 may have been hurt.
How did police respond to the London-bound train attack?
British Transport Police stated that counterterrorism units are assisting with the investigation as they work to determine the full details and motivation behind the incident. The police also stated that the code word “Plato,” used by police and emergency services during suspected “marauding terror attacks,” was activated.
“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,”
British Transport Police (BTP) chief superintendent Chris Casey stated.
“At this early stage, it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident.”
How did Prime Minister Keir Starmer react to the attack?
UK PM Keir Starmer stated that the incident was “deeply concerning” and encouraged people to follow police advice.
In a statement on X, the prime minister said:
“The appalling incident on a train near Huntingdon is deeply concerning. My thoughts are with all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services for their response. Anyone in the area should follow the advice of the police.”
The appalling incident on a train near Huntingdon is deeply concerning.
My thoughts are with all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services for their response.
Anyone in the area should follow the advice of the police.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) November 1, 2025
A stabbing incident that previously occurred at a London railway station was reported at Tunbridge Wells station in Kent in 2012. In this case, a man was found with a stab wound outside the railway station. He was initially reported to be in critical condition but had later been reported as stable.
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