Attack left 11 injured. Two suspects were arrested, but one was released without charge
Britain was shocked by a stabbing on a train on Saturday night that targeted passengers traveling through central England on their way to London, in an incident that Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as “deeply worrying”.
The attack left nine people needing treatment for life-threatening injuries, one of whom was still fighting for his life in hospital on Sunday night, after which the British Transport Police (BTP) declared a “serious incident”.
Although two suspects were initially detained minutes after police received the first emergency call, BTP said on Sunday evening that only one person is now being treated as a suspect.
A 32-year-old British man remains in police custody after being detained on suspicion of attempted murder, the official said, adding that a 35-year-old British citizen of Caribbean descent was released without charge.
Police are working to determine a motive, but have previously said there is no evidence to suggest the attack was terrorism-related.
Here’s what we know about the stabbing.
What happened?
The London North Eastern Railway (LNER) high-speed train departed the northern city of Doncaster at 6:25 pm local time on Saturday night, heading for London.
The train had just left Peterborough station in Cambridgeshire when the attack occurred.
Passenger Wren Chambers told the BBC that she initially “heard some shouting and screaming” coming from one or two carriages below, before a man ran down the train with a “very obvious wound”, bleeding profusely from his arm.
After seeing more people running past, Chambers picked up his bag and coat. “I got up and walked down the train after them, trying to get as far as possible.”
People fled through the carriages in search of safety, with some trying to barricade themselves in the train’s bathrooms, according to other witnesses who saw the train’s seats soaked in blood.
The belongings of the fleeing passengers are seen on the ground at the entrance to the train station on Sunday, November 2, 2025, following a stabbing on a London-bound train in Huntingdon, England, the night before. Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP
Police received the first emergency call at around 7:42 pm local time and immediately deployed armed officers. Eight minutes after the first call, the two initial suspects were arrested after the train made an unplanned stop at Huntingdon station.
Armed police officers were seen running across the station platform, removing passengers as they sought to neutralize any ongoing threat, British news agency PA Media reported.
A witness who identified himself as Gavin described seeing one of the men, initially suspected of being the attacker, being hit by a police taser. “Essentially, as they got closer to him, they started shouting, like, ‘get down, get down’… I think it was a taser that ended up knocking him down,” he told Sky News.
The train remained at Huntingdon station on Sunday morning, with medical equipment and other debris scattered across the platform.
Who are the victims?
A total of 11 victims received hospital treatment. Ten people were taken to hospital by ambulance, nine of whom were at risk of death, while another person was admitted to hospital that night.
On Sunday night, one person remained in the hospital with life-threatening injuries, BTP reported. The man, a member of LNER staff who was on the train, “tried to stop the attacker”, he added.
“Detectives analyzed the train’s closed circuit television and it is clear that their actions were nothing short of heroic and undoubtedly saved the lives of many people,” the statement continues.
Little other information has been given at this stage about the victims, including their ages.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing people with stab wounds and heavy bleeding.
Who is behind the attack?
Although two people were arrested on Saturday night on suspicion of attempted murder, police said on Sunday night that one of the men was released after it was confirmed he was not involved.
The man still detained by authorities is a 32-year-old black British citizen, originally from Peterborough, where he boarded the train shortly before the attack. He is currently considered the only suspect in the stabbing.
“Our investigation is progressing at a rapid pace and we are confident that we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident,” Stuart Cundy, Deputy Chief of BTP, said in the Sunday evening statement.
“As would be expected, specialist detectives are investigating the background of the suspect we have in custody and the events that led to the attack,” he added.
A forensic police officer examines the LNER train at Huntingdon station on Sunday. Leon Neal/Getty Images
Earlier on Sunday, police said there was no indication the attack was terrorism-related.
“At this stage there is nothing to suggest this is a terrorist incident,” John Loveless, superintendent of the British Transport Police, told reporters. “At this stage, it would not be appropriate to speculate on the cause of this incident.”
British Defense Secretary John Healey described the incident as an “isolated attack” in an interview with Sky News.
The BTP had initially declared “Plato” – the national code word for responding to a “massive terrorist attack” – before later withdrawing it.
How common are these attacks in the UK?
The UK rarely experiences mass accidents and homicide rates are low compared to other Western nations.
Gun crime is particularly low, with the country recording 5,103 gun crimes last year, according to government statistics.
By comparison, knife crime has seen an overall increase since 2011. Around 51,527 knife crimes were recorded by police forces in England and Wales in the last 12 months to June 2025, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Of these, 15,689 were registered in London.
British politicians and other senior figures expressed their shock at Saturday’s attack and offered their condolences to the victims.
“My thoughts are with everyone affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services for their response. Anyone in the area should follow police advice,” Starmer wrote on X.
Emergency personnel are on the tracks next to the train at Huntingdon station in Cambridgeshire after several people were stabbed. Two people have been arrested after British Transport Police were called to an incident on a train on Saturday 1 November 2025. Chris Radburn/AP
Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood said she was “deeply saddened to hear of the stabbings” and that her “thoughts go out to all those affected”.
In a statement released by Buckingham Palace, King Charles said: “My wife and I were truly horrified and shocked to learn of the horrific knife attack that took place on board a train in Cambridgeshire last night.”
“Our deepest condolences and thoughts are with all those affected and their loved ones,” he added.
“We are particularly grateful to the emergency services for their response to this terrible incident.”
The East Coast Main Line – on which the train traveled – is one of the UK’s busiest and most important rail routes. It connects the main cities, going from London King’s Cross to Edinburgh Waverly, in Scotland.
