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A train driver has died, and scores of passengers have been injured after two passenger trains collided north of London on Friday evening, prompting a major emergency response and widespread disruption on the rail network.
According to The Associated Press (AP), the crash occurred outside Bedford at about 5:15 p.m., when both trains were reportedly travelling southbound toward London St Pancras station, according to rail tracking data.
Emergency responders rushed to the scene, deploying multiple units including an air ambulance and a hazardous incident team from the East of England Ambulance Service. Authorities later confirmed the scale of the casualties and declared a major incident.
“We know that a number of people have been injured and one person has very sadly died,’’ police said in a statement.
“A major incident has been declared, and officers are continuing to respond at the scene alongside colleagues from Bedfordshire Police and the local Fire and Rescue and Ambulance Services.’’
According to the East of England Ambulance Service, 11 people sustained very serious injuries, 22 suffered serious injuries, while 56 others had minor injuries.
Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, confirmed that the person who died was a train driver.
Passengers described moments of panic and confusion in the immediate aftermath of the crash.
Peter Knapp, who was on the rear train, said the collision happened without warning.
“There was a moment of being flung into the chair in front, and then I saw smoke,” Knapp said. “People were crying, screaming. People were so scared and confused.”
“I got up and I saw a lot of people who were unable to speak, had broken legs,” he added. “And then I managed to get out of the train and because I’m quite thin I was able to squeeze out through the gap in the doors.”
Images and videos shared on social media showed passengers gathered near emergency vehicles along a road running beside the tracks, with some receiving treatment while others appeared uninjured but visibly shaken.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), which represents railway workers, said it was monitoring developments and expressed concern over reports of serious injuries among both staff and passengers.
East Midlands Railway said one of the trains involved was the 4:40 p.m. service from Corby to St Pancras, which collided with a 3:50 p.m. service from Nottingham to St Pancras.
The company also confirmed widespread cancellations, saying all services to and from St Pancras were suspended for the remainder of Friday, with Saturday schedules yet to be confirmed.
