What we know so far…
Here is a recap of what we know so far:
A 32-year-old man who was arrested in connection with the Huntingdon train knife attack is now being treated as the only suspect, British Transport Police (BTP) said.
Another man, a 35-year-old from London, was arrested but has been released with no further action, BTP said in a statement. The force said police have established that he was not involved with the attack.
Shortly after the attacks began, the train made an emergency stop at Huntingdon station in Cambridgeshire, where, according to witness accounts, police officers tasered a man carrying a knife.
British Transport Police said eleven people were treated in hospital, and after nine originally had life-threatening injuries, four have now been discharged. One person, a LNER rail worker, remains in a life-threatening condition. The rail worker has been described as a “hero” for trying to stop the attack.
Commenting on whether the incident was terrorism, Supt John Loveless told reporters this morning: “British Transport Police declared a major incident yesterday, and counter-terrorism policing were initially supporting our investigation. However, at this stage, there is nothing to suggest that this is a terrorist incident.”
Police initially declared “Plato”, the national codeword used by police and emergency services when responding to a “marauding terror attack”, before the declaration was later rescinded.
The British defence secretary, John Healey, described it as an “isolated attack” but warned we are in a “new era of threat”.
The attack took place on the 6.25pm LNER train from Doncaster to London King’s Cross yesterday evening. British Transport Police say they were called to reports of multiple stabbings at 7.42pm on Saturday evening. Passengers have said the attack started about 10 minutes after the train left Peterborough station.
Key events
A newly released video shows screaming passengers running from the attacker down the train platform in Huntingdon.
The CCTV footage from a local business, obtained by the Daily Mail, shows the suspect slowly walking towards a station worker, holding the knife.
Someone can be heard shouting: “Move down, move down. Please run, please run.”
The CCTV, taken at 7.41pm, then shows the attacker walking away and jumping over a fence while still holding the knife.
Witness Thomas McLachlan, 19, from London, who was on the train returning from a trip to Newcastle, described how people were leaving the train “drenched in blood”, PA reports.
He told the BBC: “I heard the words ‘He’s been stabbed’ and I saw the panic spread among the faces of the people of the carriage.
“A couple of minutes after that the train pulled into Huntingdon and I saw loads of other passengers getting off absolutely drenched in blood.
“There was one man clutching a white sheet to his head who looked like he was stabbed twice. (There were) really severe injuries. And there was just general fear among everyone involved.”
He went on: “I will say there were definitely many heroes on that day, many kind people who just wanted to help those around them – people handing out blankets, hand warmers.
“One other man who I saw, one of the injured people getting off the train, had been slashed in the face – from the account that I heard, he was trying to protect a young girl from being attacked by the attacker, and he took that injury to the face out of protection for her – that’s some real selflessness, right there.”
In the statement earlier, BTP said five of the original eleven people hospitalised after the attack have now been discharged. One person remains in a life-threatening condition.
“Five casualties have now been discharged from hospital and one remains in a life-threatening condition,” the statement said.
“This casualty is a member of LNER rail staff who was on the train at the time and tried to stop the attacker.
“Detectives have reviewed the CCTV from the train and it is clear his actions were nothing short of heroic and undoubtedly saved many people’s lives.”
Nigel Roebuck, an officer at the trade union Aslef, who leads on negotiations with LNER, said the driver of the train was “shaken up” but is receiving support.
Asked how the driver is doing, Roebuck told Sky News: “He’s good. He was, he was clearly shaken up, you know.
“And obviously we didn’t kind of get too, too into detail about things.
“We just basically said, you know, you know where we are if you need us, the lines are open for us. And I think LNER have probably done the same with him.
“So he’s getting a great level of support, and that’s good, all we can do is make sure that he’s looked after.
“It sounds as if he did exactly the right thing when the emergency developed in that he didn’t stop the train in the middle of two stations where it’s obviously difficult for the emergency services to reach, but he carried on going until he got to Huntingdon, where the response was pretty much already there.”
As part of the investigation detectives are looking at the health history, especially any mental health history, of the suspect they have in custody as they try to establish a motive, the Guardian’s crime correspondent Vikram Dodd reports.
Terrorism has been ruled out and police are looking at whether or not the suspect, who boarded at Peterborough minutes before the stabbing rampage, was known to other authorities before the attack.
David Horne, managing director of LNER, said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by yesterday’s incident and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected, particularly our colleague who remains in a life-threatening condition, and their family.
“I would like to thank the emergency services for their quick and professional response and the care they provided to those injured. I would also like to recognise the driver, crew and our operational response colleagues for their bravery and quick actions.
“This is a deeply upsetting incident. Over the coming days we will continue to cooperate with the authorities involved and will do everything we can to support our customers and colleagues during this very difficult time.”
British Transport Police Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy said: “Our investigation is moving at pace and we are confident we are not looking for anyone else in connection to the incident.
“As would be expected, specialist detectives are looking into the background of the suspect we have in custody and the events that led up to the attack.
“This was a horrific attack that has had a wide impact. My thoughts and those of everyone in British Transport Police are with those injured and their families – especially the brave member of rail staff whose family are being supported by specialist officers.
“Having viewed the CCTV from the train, the actions of the member of rail staff were nothing short of heroic and undoubtedly saved people’s lives
“My thanks to the public for their patience while we continue our investigation at Huntingdon station. We hope that we will be able to support GTR in reopening the station soon.
“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.”
British Transport Police also said a “heroic” member of LNER rail staff who tried to stop the knife attacker on the train and “undoubtedly saved many people’s lives” remains in a life-threatening condition.
“Detectives have reviewed the CCTV from the train and it is clear his actions were nothing short of heroic and undoubtedly saved many people’s lives,” BTP said in a statement.
Only one suspect being held on suspicion of attempted murder, police say
A 32-year-old man who was arrested in connection with the Huntingdon train knife attack is now being treated as the only suspect, British Transport Police (BTP) said.
The man, from Peterborough, boarded the train at Peterborough station.
Another man, a 35-year-old from London, has been released with no further action, BTP said in a statement.
The force said police have established that he was not involved with the attack.
Police also confirmed that a knife was recovered by officers at the scene.
“It was reported in good faith to officers responding to the incident that he was involved in the attack, and following enquiries we can confirm that he was not involved.”
Viorel Turturica, the 42-year-old taxi driver who captured video appearing to show one of the suspects being arrested, spoke to ITV News about what he witnessed.
“Armed police started running towards my car, so I looked to the right and saw the guy with the knife,” Turturica said.
“He was holding the knife straight and asking the police to kill him. He repeated three or four times ‘kill me, kill me, kill me’.
“The police used Tasers, put him down and arrested him.”
The train driver has been named as Andrew Johnson, according to the Telegraph.
Johnson, from Peterborough, diverted the train to Huntingdon station within minutes of being alerted to the mass stabbing to allow emergency services to respond.
Johnson spent 17 years in the Royal Navy and was deployed to Iraq in 2003 before becoming a train driver in 2018, the newspaper reported.
The National Rail website says disruption is expected between London Kings Cross and Peterborough until the end of the day on Monday 3 November.
There continues to be no service at Huntingdon station, where the train made an emergency stop. Forensics officers continued to gather evidence at the scene today.
Nottingham Forest supporters living in London were travelling on the LNER train when the Huntingdon stabbings happened, the football club said in a statement on X. Forest played Manchester United at the City Ground in Nottingham earlier that day.
The club said: “Many of our London-based supporters were travelling home on that train following our match at the City Ground, and our thoughts are very much with everyone caught up in such a distressing incident.
“The club is aware that many individuals demonstrated extraordinary bravery, which undoubtedly helped prevent even greater harm.
“The entire Nottingham Forest family stands firmly behind them as they recover from the events of yesterday.”
Evangelos Marinakis, the club’s owner, added: “Everyone at Nottingham Forest is shocked and deeply saddened by what happened.
“The courage and selflessness shown by our supporters on that train represents the very best of humanity and the very best of our club’s community.
“We will make sure any supporter caught up in this incident receives whatever financial support they require to enable them to access the best possible medical care as they recover.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected.”
