Police declare major incident as two arrested — terror motive not confirmed
NINE people remain in hospital with life-threatening injuries after a mass stabbing on a London-bound train in Cambridgeshire on Saturday evening (Nov 1).
The attack happened on the 6:25pm LNER service from Doncaster to King’s Cross, shortly after the high-speed train left Peterborough Station. Armed officers boarded the train at Huntingdon and arrested two suspects at the scene.
British Transport Police (BTP) said ten people were injured, one of them with non-life-threatening wounds. The incident has been declared a major incident, and Counter Terrorism Policing is supporting the investigation.
A BTP press conference, originally scheduled for 10:00am, was delayed to 10:30am as detectives continued to piece together events.
At one stage, police declared “Plato”, the national code word used for a marauding terror attack, but this was later rescinded after the situation was contained.
BTP 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.”
Defence Secretary: ‘This was an isolated incident’
Defence Secretary John Healey told Sky News the facts were still emerging but said the attack was being treated as an isolated incident.
“This was close to home — my wife and I took the same service just hours earlier,” he said. “I can’t begin to imagine how shocked and frightened those passengers were. The only assessment is that this was an isolated attack. There is no reason for the rest of us not to get on with our lives.”
Healey added that the UK threat level remains ‘substantial’, meaning an attack is likely, and warned that the country faces a “new era of threat” from terrorism, cyber-attacks, and infrastructure sabotage.
MP calls for transparency
Ben Obese-Jecty, the Conservative MP for Huntingdon, said it was “vital” that police release information about the suspects “to stop misinformation and speculation from spreading.”
“All I know is that two people were arrested at the scene,” he told the Press Association. “I would hope British Transport Police will release more information when they hold their press conference later this morning.”
Eyewitnesses describe horror on board
Passenger Olly Foster said at first he thought it was a Halloween prank before realising the horror unfolding around him.
“A man ran past shouting, ‘Run, run, there’s a guy literally stabbing everyone!’” he told the BBC. “People were pushing, panicking — there was blood all over the chairs. A man blocked the attacker to protect a young girl and was stabbed in the neck.”
Another witness told The Times there was “blood everywhere” and passengers were “getting stamped on” as they tried to flee. Others hid in the toilets.
National reaction
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the attack as “deeply concerning.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood urged the public “not to speculate” while the investigation continues.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was in “close contact” with police and transport authorities and called the incident “horrific.”
Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, said she was “deeply disturbed,” and the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union said it was “horrified” by the events, praising train staff and emergency responders.
Station sealed off
Huntingdon railway station remains sealed off, with the A1307 road outside closed and forensic teams examining the carriages. The LNER train involved is still on the platform.
LNER said East Coast Mainline services between London, Leeds, Lincoln, Doncaster, Bradford, and Harrogate will be severely disrupted until Monday, urging passengers to defer travel.
Knife crime concerns
The attack comes as the government intensifies efforts to tackle knife violence, which has risen steadily since 2011. Nearly 60,000 knives have been seized or surrendered across England and Wales this year, as part of a campaign to halve knife crime within a decade.
Police are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information is asked to text BTP on 61016 quoting reference 663 of 01/11/25.
