NINE people sustained life-threatening injuries and a tenth was hospitalised following a mass stabbing aboard a London-bound train in eastern England, British police confirmed on Sunday.
Two suspects are in custody, while counterterrorism officers support the ongoing investigation.
AP reported on Sunday that bloodied passengers fled the long-distance train when it made an emergency stop in Huntingdon, a market town northwest of Cambridge, after multiple stabbings were reported onboard. Two individuals were arrested by armed officers at the station.
“Ten people have been taken to hospital with nine believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries,” said British Transport Police in an early Sunday statement.
“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.”
Police temporarily invoked the national code word “Plato,” used when responding to potential marauding terror attacks, though the alert was later rescinded.
Authorities have not yet disclosed a motive for the attack. Chief Superintendent Chris Casey said: “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.”
The attack occurred midway through the train’s journey from Doncaster to London’s King’s Cross, with passengers describing chaotic scenes.
Olly Foster, a commuter, told the BBC: “People were shouting ‘run, run, there’s a guy literally stabbing everyone,’ and I initially thought it might have been a Halloween prank. But as passengers pushed past me to get away, I noticed my hand was covered in blood from a chair I had leaned on.”
Emergency services, including armed officers and air ambulances, responded rapidly as the train arrived at Huntingdon station. Officers in forensic suits, accompanied by a police dog, were seen on the platform as the situation was contained.
Cambridgeshire Constabulary reported they were called to the scene at 7:39 p.m. on Saturday, approximately 75 miles north of London.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his “thoughts are with all those affected” by the “appalling incident,” while Paul Bristow, mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, described hearing of “horrendous scenes” on the train.
London North Eastern Railway, operator of the East Coast Mainline, confirmed the incident occurred on one of its services and warned of major disruptions on the route continuing into Monday. - November 2, 2025
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