Major Incident at Huntingdon (01/11/2025)

[TT-ONR-NRN]

What took them so long

Awaiting a statement from British Transport Police.

 

[Pete_uk]

Oh dear.
What sad news.

 

[brad465]

The BBC live feed post shows this image now from the scene:

As it happened: Man, 32, treated as only suspect in train stabbing as staff member in life-threatening condition, police say

British Transport Police say the "heroic" man who tried to stop the attack remains in hospital. Five others have been discharged.

www.bbc.co.uk

(Image of workers on the track at Huntingdon around the train)

 

[Rebecca]

That's understandable, as Addenbrookes is the major trauma centre for East Anglia. Plus the Magpas air ambulance is stationed nearby (ex RAF Wyton unless they have recently moved).

It’s at Alconbury. But same distance just to the north.

 

[KevinBrum12]

Probably because BTP only reported it at 11:28 pm https://x.com/BTP/status/1984764511946002461

Would have been best if the BTP had referred to the service the incident occurred on in their initial statement. Would have helped their call handlers triage any calls.

 

[sharpener]

The BBC has just confirmed that it was 1Y90 the 1825 Doncaster - Kings Cross service.

... which the subtitles promptly interpreted as "Don Castro to Kings Cross"

 

[Pete_uk]

It looks like there is a large search going on on the tracks right now.

 

[Travelmonkey]

It’s at Alconbury. But same distance just to the north.

The area is very lucky to have 2 air ambulances based in the county, its a shame other areas can't get similar in the air (e.g Stoke air ambulance has been trying to get cover for North staffs) where resources are spread thinner.

 

[Ze Random One]

BBC now also quoted that MP & Newcastle.

It's possible that the train may have had a number of Newcastle United fans aboard, as West Ham are hosting Newcastle tomorrow afternoon and the closure of York means many fans may have been diverted onto the affected service. It's quite possible that an aide or the MP asked one of the witnesses where they were coming from and inferred the train was from there.

 

[Travelmonkey]

... which the subtitles promptly interpreted as "Don Castro to Kings Cross"

Well some are speculative it's gang warfare, don't think the mob is involved though.

 

[Rebecca]

The area is very lucky to have 2 air ambulances based in the county, its a shame other areas can't get similar in the air (e.g Stoke air ambulance has been trying to get cover for North staffs) where resources are spread thinner.

Oh we are, and they are very well supported by lt local community and they are very very greatful as we do not have the road infrastructure in EA, so an Air Ambulance is often the safest option

 

[JordR]

I liked them saying it was new information...almost 4 hours later

I think they said it'd been recently released in a BTP statement and they have now repeated it a few times. They also seem to have just changed the London reporter, possibly pulled in someone a bit more senior?

Also seem to have a live camera on scene now on the bridge, showing what might be a track search.

 

[milooo]

I have found this going round on x as well. (A police officer with a torch walking infront of the incident train)

 

[Sleepy]

The area is very lucky to have 2 air ambulances based in the county, its a shame other areas can't get similar in the air (e.g Stoke air ambulance has been trying to get cover for North staffs) where resources are spread thinner.

East Anglia one covers Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire (another is based in Norwich for Norfolk & Suffolk) while the other is a separate charity for Essex/Herts.

 

[Rebecca]

East Anglia one covers Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire while the other is Essex/Herts.

EAAA also covers Norfolk and Suffolk too I believe but they do it from 2 bases I think.

 

[jackcevans]

I was on a few trains behind.
The staff did their best of course but I was surprised there wasn’t an attempt to provide more information rather then just “look at sky news”.
I was also struck how exposed we were - considering this could have been multiple attacks you would think in an ideal world that will have been an attempt to lock down the carriages and wait for police to sweep the train.

 

[Steve Harris]

EAAA also covers Norfolk and Suffolk too I believe but they do it from 2 bases I think.

Yes, EAAA are based at Cambridge and Norwich Airports. And as you pointed out earlier the Magpas air ambulance is now based at Alconbury (previously Wyton).

 

[transportphoto]

I was also struck how exposed we were - considering this could have been multiple attacks you would think in an ideal world that will have been an attempt to lock down the carriages and wait for police to sweep the train.

Sweep your [so far unaffected] train for what? Are you suggesting everyone gets searched?

 

[deerokus]

Sky's coverage is significantly better than BBC's. BBC just explaining where Huntingdon is, sky have a police commander explaining how they handle an incident exactly like this, accessing the train, checking tracks etc.

 

[Travelmonkey]

East Anglia one covers Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire (another is based in Norwich for Norfolk & Suffolk) while the other is a separate charity for Essex/Herts.

I was more thinking Magpas & the EAAA being such close proximity compared to other regions (Midlands/NW) although any HEMS job is serious tbh any trauma is if you tick the boxes you'll be blue lighted to somewhere bigger.

 

[Sleepy]

I was on a few trains behind.
The staff did their best of course but I was surprised there wasn’t an attempt to provide more information rather then just “look at sky news”.
I was also struck how exposed we were - considering this could have been multiple attacks you would think in an ideal world that will have been an attempt to lock down the carriages and wait for police to sweep the train.

Would expect the guard would be actively monitoring on board cctv for any suspicious activity.

 

[transportphoto]

sky have a police commander explaining how they handle an incident exactly like this, accessing the train, checking tracks etc.

A current police commander actually involved, or a retired/similar hypothesising based on their experience? The latter less helpful than face value.

 

[azOOOOOma]

I was on a few trains behind.
The staff did their best of course but I was surprised there wasn’t an attempt to provide more information rather then just “look at sky news”.
I was also struck how exposed we were - considering this could have been multiple attacks you would think in an ideal world that will have been an attempt to lock down the carriages and wait for police to sweep the train.

Lock people in a carriage potentially with the terrorists in the carriage with them? Not sure I’m following your logic.

 

[nolypops83]

I was on a few trains behind.
The staff did their best of course but I was surprised there wasn’t an attempt to provide more information rather then just “look at sky news”.
I was also struck how exposed we were - considering this could have been multiple attacks you would think in an ideal world that will have been an attempt to lock down the carriages and wait for police to sweep the train.

They would probably know as much as you do at that point. In an emergency, all trains in the area are brought to a standstill, and drivers wait to be contacted by the signaller for more information.

 

[Travelmonkey]

Sweep your [so far unaffected] train for what? Are you suggesting everyone gets searched?

That definitely would be OTT but at least a more human reassurance wouldn't go amiss although again its a unprecedented situation that will go long into the night and potentially coming days. It will be intresting to see what happens but it's definitely a serious situation all round.

 

[JordR]

It's a retired one, Superintendent Dal Babu, who I believe is exactly the same person the BBC interviewed too.

 

[deerokus]

Different guy sky were interviewing earlier, was quite interesting.

 

[RUK]

I have found this going round on x as well. (A police officer with a torch walking infront of the incident train)

Given the red rather than white headlights on the train, might that photo be from behind the back of the train, rather than in front of the train?

 

[Steve Harris]

Sky reporting no fatalities and 10 people taken to hospital.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 2 Nov 2025 ==

Given the red rather than white headlights on the train, might that photo be from behind the back of the train, rather than in front of the train?

Yes it is the back of the train as my local knowledge tells me that the camera operator is standing on Brampton Road railway bridge.

 

[Steddenm]

Given the red rather than white headlights on the train, might that photo be from behind the back of the train, rather than in front of the train?

Yes it is the back of the unit, standard class seating. You can see the seats through the close up shots on Sky News as the drivers door is open to the train.