A shocking and "appalling" stabbing incident unfolded on an LNER train near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on Saturday evening, November 1, at approximately 7:39 pm. The incident led to multiple people being stabbed and subsequently rushed to hospital, prompting a significant emergency response and immediate concern from officials and the public.

British Transport Police (BTP) and Cambridgeshire Constabulary were swiftly called to the scene. Armed officers attended, and the train was stopped at Huntingdon station, where two men were arrested in connection with the attack. Witnesses reported a chaotic scene, with one victim recalling someone moving through a carriage warning, “They’ve got a knife, I’ve been stabbed,” and describing the individual as “extremely bloodied” before collapsing.

Eyewitnesses provided harrowing accounts of the incident, with some describing “blood everywhere” and passengers attempting to flee, at times getting “stamped” on in the panic. Others hid in toilets to escape the rampage. One witness recounted seeing between six and eight people wounded, while another estimated up to 12 may have been injured. The scene on board was likened to “something from a film,” sparking pure panic among those present.

Further details from witnesses indicated that armed police directed their weapons at a man standing on the platform with a large blade, who was then incapacitated with a taser and restrained. The suspect was described by one witness as a “black male in all black, so black hoodie.” The attack is understood to have commenced shortly after the LNER train departed Peterborough station.

The incident drew strong condemnation from senior political figures. The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, expressed that the event was “deeply concerning,” extending his thoughts to those affected and his gratitude to the emergency services, urging the public to follow police advice. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated she was “deeply saddened” and, confirming two immediate arrests, appealed to the public to “avoid comment and speculation at this early stage.” Paul Bristow, the mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp also voiced their concerns, describing it as a “brutal mass attack.”

Emergency services mobilized a large-scale response to Huntingdon Railway Station. The East of England Ambulance Service deployed numerous ambulances, tactical commanders, its Hazardous Area Response Team, and critical care teams, including the East Anglian Air Ambulance and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance, confirming that multiple patients were transported to hospital. LNER, which operates East Coast Mainline services, issued a wide "do not travel" warning due to major disruption, with Huntingdon station closed and all lines blocked.

Cambridgeshire Constabulary's Facebook statement confirmed the 7:39 pm call, the attendance of armed officers, the arrests, and the hospitalizations. The A1307 approaching the town centre was closed, and the incident remains ongoing. Authorities have appealed for anyone with information to report it online or by calling 101, quoting incident 495 of November 1.