Cambridgeshire train stabbing: suspects both British and ‘nothing to suggest’ attack was terrorism, say police – latest updates

12.33pm GMT

Transport Salaried Staffs Association general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said in response to the attack:

This is an appalling attack on passengers and rail workers alike. Our immediate priority is for the welfare of the injured and all those traumatised by what has happened.
Transport networks must be safe for everyone, both the travelling public and the staff who serve them.
We call on the operator and government to act swiftly to review security, to support the affected workers and to ensure nothing like this happens again.

12.11pm GMT

Here are the latest images being sent to us over the newswires from Cambridgeshire:

Updated at 12.16pm GMT

11.47am GMT

The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, said passengers would see “a high visibility presence” of police at railway stations and on trains throughout the day “to reassure the public”, echoing the British Transport Police’s comments given during the press conference this morning (see post at 11.04 for more details).
Alexander said:

My thoughts are with those who have been impacted by the shocking incident in Huntingdon last night, especially those still in hospital today.
I’d like to pay enormous tribute to the staff and officers who responded, and the public for their patience and cooperation.
I am receiving regular updates from the British Transport Police who are leading the response to this awful incident, as well as LNER and other organisations involved.
Trains are now running in the area, however Huntingdon station remains closed with trains passing through.
Passengers will see a high visibility presence of officers at stations and on trains throughout today who are there to reassure the public.

11.31am GMT

The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, praised the “exceptional bravery of staff and passengers on the train” and confirmed the “horrific” attack was not being treated as terrorism.
“My deepest thanks go to the British Transport Police, Cambridgeshire Police, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service and the East of England Ambulance Service. They responded rapidly, with the utmost professionalism and saved lives,” she added in a post on X.

11.27am GMT
King Charles 'appalled' and 'shocked' by 'dreadful' knife attack

Here is a message from King Charles following the attack in Cambridgeshire:

My wife and I were truly appalled and shocked to hear of the dreadful knife attack that took place on board a train in Cambridgeshire last night.
Our deepest sympathy and thoughts are with all those affected, and their loved ones.
We are particularly grateful to the emergency services for their response to this awful incident.

Updated at 12.18pm GMT

11.22am GMT
What we know so far...

Here is a recap of what we know so far:

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a mass stabbing on a moving high-speed train from Doncaster to London on Saturday evening.
Shortly after the attacks began, the train made an unscheduled emergency stop at Huntingdon station in Cambridgeshire, where, according to witness accounts, police officers tasered a man carrying a knife.
Police said one suspect is a Black British national and the other is a British national of Caribbean descent. Both men, aged 32 and 35, were born in the UK.
British Transport Police said eleven people were treated in hospital, and after nine originally presented with life-threatening injuries, four have now been discharged. Two people, however, remain in a life-threatening condition.
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.

Updated at 12.07pm GMT

11.04am GMT
Passengers will see high police 'visibility' across the transport network today - BTP

Loveless concluded the brief press conference by saying that he expects trains to be passing through Huntingdon station this morning and that passengers will see “a high visibility presence of police officers at stations and on trains throughout today, up and down the transport network”.
He thanks the public for their patience and cooperation, and asks the public to get in touch if they have more information concerning the incident.
Members of the public can text British Transport Police on 61016 quoting reference number 663, if they have information related to yesterday’s incident.

10.54am GMT
Nothing to suggest that this is a terrorist incident, police say

At this stage in the investigation, there is “nothing to suggest” that the stabbing attack is a terrorist incident, police say.
The British Transport Police says it is continuing to work to establish the full circumstances and motivations that led to the attack.
“At this early stage, it would not be appropriate to speculate on the cause of this incident,” Loveless said.

Updated at 11.02am GMT

10.50am GMT
Two people remain in a life-threatening condition in hospital, police say

Following the attack, ten people were taken to hospital by ambulance and another person “self-presented” later that evening, Loveless said.
He said that while nine people were initially believed to have life-threatening injuries, following assessment and treatment four have been discharged but two people remain in a “life threatening condition”.

Updated at 11.13am GMT

10.48am GMT
Both suspects born in the UK and have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police say

Supt John Loveless said the two suspects were both British nationals and remain in police custody. Both suspects were born in the UK and have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

a 32-year-old male who is a “Black British national”.
A 35-year-old man who is a British national of “Caribbean descent”.

“Within eight minutes of the 999 call being made, two men were brought into police custody where they remain this morning,” Loveless said.

Updated at 11.57am GMT

10.43am GMT
Police press conference into the train stabbing attack has started

The British Transport Police, who are leading the investigations, are giving an update to journalists on the stabbing attack.

10.20am GMT

The BTP press conference scheduled to take place outside Huntingdon station in Cambridgeshire has been delayed. It is now expected to take place closer to 10.30 GMT.

Updated at 10.39am GMT

10.08am GMT

Ben Obese-Jecty, the Conservative MP for Huntingdon, said it is “vital” that information about the suspects is released to “stop any misinformation and speculation from being spread”.
He told the PA news agency:

All I know is that two people have been arrested and were arrested at the scene. That’s as much information that has been pushed out at the moment.
I would hope that British Transport Police are going to release some more information about the suspects when they do their press conference later on this morning.
I think it’s vital that some information comes out to stop any misinformation and speculation from being spread.
I saw this last night when I put out a tweet saying that I was aware of the incident, I was trying to find out more information.
Hundreds of comments came back speculating as to the nature of the attack, the motive, background of the attacker.

Updated at 10.12am GMT

9.48am GMT
Police to give update about Cambridgeshire train stabbing shortly

The British Transport Police is expected to hold a news conference at 10:00 GMT. Stick with us as we bring you the latest updates. We are expecting to hear an update from one of the force’s senior officers.
You can follow the BTP press conference live here:

Updated at 9.57am GMT

9.29am GMT
We are in a new era of threat, defence secretary warns

Asked by Trevor Phillips on Sky News if the attack has changed the (UK’s) security alert status at all, the defence secretary, John Healey, said the threat remains “substantial”.
“It reflects a period of really increasing pressure on our country and uncertainty more widely in the world, a new era of threat if you like,” he said.
There are 5 levels of terrorism threat:

Low – an attack is highly unlikely
Moderate – an attack is possible but not likely
Substantial – an attack is likely
Severe – an attack is highly likely
Critical – an attack is highly likely in the near future

The level is set by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre and the MI5.
Healey went on to repeat that “we are in a new era of threat”, citing examples of cyber-attacks and the “menacing of our critical infrastructure that is under the seas”.

9.19am GMT

Huntingdon railway station remains taped off by police on Sunday morning after a mass stabbing on a train.
The train is still on the platform and a number of officers are positioned around the station, according to reporting by the PA news agency.
The road directly outside the station’s car park, the A1307, is shut and a number of police vehicles are on the road.

9.07am GMT
Stabbing attack is considered to be an isolated incident, defence secretary says

The defence secretary, John Healey, said the facts from last night’s attack were still “emerging” and urged people to avoid speculation.
In an interview with Sky News’ Trevor Phillips this morning, he said:

This is close to home. This was the very service that my wife and I Jackie took just a few hours before this attack. It is the service I use every week to get home to Rotherham.
So I can’t begin to imagine how shocked and frightened those passengers were and a huge tribute to those passengers and the emergency services for their response because it could have been so much worse.

Healey said the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, will update the public as soon as further facts emerge. He said the police will also give updates at some point.
Q: The fact that there are two arrests, rather than a lone person, the fact that this resembles some other things that have happened in the past and the fact that the counter-terrorism police are involved suggests at least that still the possibility that this is a terrorist attack is still open. Is that right?
A: Those are all suppositions. The only assessment is that this was an isolated incident, an isolated attack. So there is no reason for the rest of us not to get on with our lives, get on and travel to the places we need to get to. But those sort of conclusions, those firmer assessments and that information will be provided to the public as soon as we’ve got them.

8.15am GMT
Mayor of London describes Cambridgeshire train stabbing as 'deeply concerning'

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has described the “horrific” attack as “deeply concerning” and said he is in “close contact” with the Metropolitan police to ensure all “necessary support is provided”.
In a post to X this morning, he wrote:

The horrific incident on the train in Huntingdon is deeply concerning. My thoughts are with those injured and affected. I am grateful to our emergency services for their swift response.
I am in close contact with the Met and transport authorities to ensure all necessary support is provided. Anyone planning to travel on LNER services today should check before they travel.

Updated at 8.26am GMT

7.57am GMT

The stabbing attack has caused widespread shock across the UK.
A spokesperson for the Rail, Maritime and Transport union said: “We are horrified by the mass stabbing attack on an LNER train last night.
“Our thoughts remain with the train crew and passengers who were either at work or going about their business on a busy Saturday night during this awful incident.
“It is important we allow the emergency services and authorities to establish the full facts before commenting further.”

7.34am GMT

At first he thought it was a sick Halloween joke.
Commuter Olly Foster had been listening to an audio book on the train as it sped through Cambridgeshire when a man ran past him, yelling “Run, run, there is a guy stabbing literally everyone, everything.”
But the horror on the man’s face told him it wasn’t a prank at all, Foster told the BBC, as he recounted the harrowing attack.
“You could kind of see in their faces they were being serious,” he said.
Foster grabbed his belongings as he and other passengers attempted to escape.
“Everyone was really pushing behind us, really panicking,” he said.
He described touching a chair that was covered in blood, and a brave man who was injured in neck as he tried to protect a young girl.
Unclear of what was coming next, Foster said he and another passenger were preparing for what would happen if an attacker emerged.
“We had a Jack Daniels bottle between us and that was it,” he said, “We were kind of sitting there with one Jack Daniels bottle just looking down the end of this carriage just praying someone doesn’t walk down with a knife, with a gun.”

Updated at 7.34am GMT

7.27am GMT

It’s almost 7.30am in England, and we would expect an update from the British Transport Police this morning.
Here is their full statement from last night:

We can confirm that at 7.42pm today (1 November) British Transport Police were called to reports of a multiple stabbing on board the 6.25pm train service from Doncaster to London King’s Cross.Officers immediately attended Huntingdon station alongside paramedics.Armed police from Cambridgeshire Police boarded the train and arrested two people in connection to the incident who have been taken to police custody. Ten people have been taken to hospital with nine believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries. One is being treated for non life-threatening injuries. There have been no fatalities.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.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. At this early stage it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident.“Our response is ongoing at the station and will be for some time. Cordons are in place and trains are not currently running through the area, and there are also some road closures.“I thank the public for their patience and their cooperation this evening which has already greatly assisted our policing response. We will update you again as soon as we have more information.”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.

Updated at 7.29am GMT

6.51am GMT

Some more images from the scene at Huntingdon Station are coming through:

5.52am GMT
What we know so far

It’s nearing 6am in London and if you are just catching up with the news, here is a quick recap of what we know so far about the Cambridgeshire train stabbing attack.

Nine people have been hospitalised with life-threatening injuries after a mass stabbing on a train travelling from Doncaster to London King’s Cross on Saturday evening. A tenth person suffered nonlife-threatening injuries.
A man with a large knife is believed to have been shot with a Taser by police after the attack on the high speed train after it left Peterborough station in Cambridgeshire.
British Transport Police (BTP) said two people have been arrested over the stabbings which happened on the 6.25pm train service. Counter-terrorism police are also involved in the investigation.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer described the attack as “deeply concerning”.
Witnesses have spoken of seeing a man with a large knife and passengers hiding in the toilets to escape the rampage, The Times reported. One told the paper there was “blood everywhere” and people were getting “stamped” on by others as they tried to flee.
London North Eastern Railway, which operates East Coast Mainline services in the UK, said disruption to services in the area was expected to last until Monday, with passengers advised to defer travel.

Updated at 8.17am GMT

5.18am GMT
Travel disruptions expected through to Monday

LNER, which operates East Coast Mainline services in the UK, said disruption to its services between London Kings Cross and Lincoln, Doncaster, Leeds, Bradford Forster Square and Harrogate was expected to last until Monday, with passengers advised to defer their travel where possible.

5.00am GMT

Knife crime in England and Wales has been steadily rising since 2011, according to official government data. While Britain has some of the strictest gun controls in the world, rampant knife crime has been branded a “national crisis” by Starmer. His government has tried to rein in the use of knives.
Nearly 60,000 blades have been either “seized or surrendered” in England and Wales as part of government efforts to halve knife crime within a decade, the interior ministry said on Wednesday.
Carrying a knife in public can be punishable by up to four years in prison, and the government said knife murders had dropped by 18% in the last year.

4.35am GMT

People at the scene of the train stabbing have described some horrifying details.
Olly Foster told the BBC he initially heard people shouting “run, run, there’s a guy literally stabbing everyone”, and believed it might have been a prank related to Halloween.
Foster said that people quickly started pushing through the carriage, and he noticed his hand was “covered in blood” as there was “blood all over the chair” he had leaned on.
An older man “blocked” the attacker from stabbing a younger girl, leaving him with injuries to his head and neck, Mr Foster said, adding other passengers used their clothing to try and stem the bleeding.
He said the incident “felt like forever”.

Updated at 5.03am GMT

4.05am GMT

Here is a map showing the location of the incident:
Interactive

3.36am GMT
Summary

Nine people have been left with life-threatening injuries after a mass stabbing on a train travelling from Doncaster to London King’s Cross on Saturday. A tenth person suffered non life-threatening injuries.
Counter-terrorism police are involved in the investigation.
A man with a large knife is believed to have been shot with a Taser by police after the attack on a high speed train after it left Peterborough station in Cambridgeshire.
British Transport Police (BTP) said two people have been arrested over the stabbings which happened on the 6.25pm train service.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer described the attack as “deeply concerning”.
BTP said a major incident was declared, and at one point declared “Plato”, the national code word used by police and emergency services when responding to a “marauding terror attack”, before the latter declaration was subsequently rescinded.
Witnesses have spoken of seeing a man with a large knife and passengers hiding in the toilets to escape the rampage, The Times reported. One told the paper there was “blood everywhere” and people were getting “stamped” on by others as they tried to flee.
Images from the scene and from social media showed scores of blue-light police cars and emergency vehicles in a station car park, and a team of armed police running towards the stationary train at Huntingdon station. Officers wearing forensic suits, with a police dog, could be seen on the platform.
The attack is understood to have started shortly after the LNER train left Peterborough station.
Ch Supt 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 … At this early stage it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident.”
MP for Huntingdon Ben Obese-Jecty called the incident “appalling and devastating”.
London North Eastern Railway, which operates East Coast Mainline services in the UK, said disruption to services in the area was expected to last until Monday, with passengers advised to defer their travel where possible.
What we don’t yet know: the identity of the victims, and the identity of the arrested suspects.

3.06am GMT

David Horne, managing director of train operator London North Eastern Railway, said the company is “deeply shocked and saddened by this serious incident”.
He said in a statement: “Our thoughts are very much with everyone involved.”
“I would like to thank the emergency services for their quick and professional response and the care they have provided to those injured. Anyone with information who hasn’t already spoken to police is urged to contact British Transport Police.
“The safety and wellbeing of everyone affected will remain our priority. We will continue to do everything we can to support our customers and colleagues during this difficult time.”

3.00am GMT

Here are some more images from the scene. It is 3am now in Cambridgeshire.

2.57am GMT
Home secretary urges public not to speculate

The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has urged the public to “avoid comment and speculation” in the wake of the stabbings and said she was receiving regular updates on the investigation.

I am deeply saddened to hear about the stabbings in Huntingdon. My thoughts go out to all those affected. Two suspects have been immediately arrested and taken into custody. I am receiving regular updates on the investigation. I urge people to avoid comment and…— Shabana Mahmood MP (@ShabanaMahmood) November 1, 2025

2.56am GMT

Some more reaction is coming in.
Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, said she was “deeply disturbed” by the reports from Huntingdon.
“This is an absolutely horrific attack and my thoughts are with all those affected including the emergency responders at the scene,” she wrote on X.

Deeply disturbed by the reports emerging from Huntingdon. This is an absolutely horrific attack and my thoughts are with all those affected including the emergency responders at the scene. https://t.co/rJ2t3z27Vx— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) November 1, 2025

2.48am GMT
Trains will be disrupted until Monday

London North Eastern Railway, which operates East Coast Mainline services in the UK, said disruption to services in the area was expected to last until Monday, with passengers advised to defer their travel where possible.

2.45am GMT
Witness describes 'blood everywhere'

Some witness accounts of the incident have started to come through.
Witnesses have spoken of seeing a man with a large knife and passengers hiding in the toilets to escape the rampage, The Times reported. One told the paper there was “blood everywhere” and people were getting “stamped” on by others as they tried to flee. The witness said: “I heard some people shouting we love (you).”
The Sun said another witness described the attack as “like something from a film”, adding: “It was a terrible scene, really violent.”
One man, who gave his name as Gavin, told Sky News he believed he saw a suspect being tasered before he was arrested.
He said: “Essentially, as they got closer to him, started shouting, like, get down get down. He then was waving a knife, quite a large knife, and then they detained him.
“I think it was a Taser that got him down in the end.”

2.43am GMT

What we don’t know:
We are yet to receive any details from the police on the identity of the injured people and the two arrested suspects.

2.42am GMT
Everything we know so far

We have pulled together an explainer on the attack and all the details we know so far:

Related: Cambridgeshire train attack: what we know so far

2.35am GMT
Chief superintendent says 'not appropriate to speculate on the causes of incident'

British Transport Police Chief Superintendent Chris Casey has been speaking.

“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. At this early stage it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident.

“Our response is ongoing at the station and will be for some time. Cordons are in place and trains are not currently running through the area, and there are also some road closures.

“I thank the public for their patience and their cooperation this evening which has already greatly assisted our policing response. We will update you again as soon as we have more information.”

2.30am GMT

Some images from the scene:

2.22am GMT
Major incident declared

A statement from the British Transport Police said the attack has been declared a ‘major incident’.
The statement said: “We can confirm that at 7.42pm today (1 November) British Transport Police were called to reports of a multiple stabbing on board the 6.25pm train service from Doncaster to London King’s Cross.
“Officers immediately attended Huntingdon station alongside paramedics.
“Armed police from Cambridgeshire Police boarded the train and arrested two people in connection to the incident who have been taken to police custody.
“Ten people have been taken to hospital with nine believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries. One is being treated for non life-threatening injuries. There have been no fatalities.
“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.”

2.17am GMT
Police used, then rescinded terror attack code word

The Press Association is reporting that police responding to the mass stabbing on a train near Huntingdon at one point declared “Plato”, the national code word used by police and emergency services when responding to a “marauding terror attack”. The declaration was later rescinded, British Transport Police said.

2.14am GMT
Opening summary

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of a stabbing attack on a train in Cambridgeshire.
Counter-terrorism police are involved in an investigation into the mass stabbing on a train which left nine people with life-threatening injuries.
A man with a large knife is believed to have been shot with a Taser by police after the attack on a high speed train after it left Peterborough station in Cambridgeshire.
British Transport Police (BTP) said two people have been arrested over the stabbings which happened on the 6.25pm train service from Doncaster to London King’s Cross on Saturday.
Police said there have been no fatalities so far from the attacks which prime minister Sir Keir Starmer described as “deeply concerning”. A tenth person suffered non life-threatening injuries.
Stay with us for the latest developments.