A courageous railway staff member has been hailed as a hero for his valiant efforts to protect passengers from a terrifying knife attack on a train in Huntingdon. His brave intervention is credited with ‘undoubtedly saving lives,’ although he is now in critical condition.
The shocking incident unfolded on a London North Eastern Railway (LNER) service traveling from Doncaster to London King’s Cross on Saturday evening. As the train journeyed south, chaos erupted, leading to a swift police response and a tense atmosphere among passengers.
Authorities have identified a 32-year-old man from Peterborough as the sole suspect in this harrowing attack. Currently, one individual remains in a ‘life-threatening condition,’ and a further twelve people were hospitalized following the Saturday night assault.
In a statement, police confirmed that the critically injured person is an LNER employee who courageously attempted to thwart the assailant’s rampage. After analyzing CCTV footage, detectives lauded his actions as nothing short of heroic, emphasizing the significant role he played in preventing further casualties.
Police confirmed the remaining casualty was a LNER employee who bravely tried to stop the attacker.
Detectives investigating the attack said ‘his actions were nothing short of heroic and undoubtedly saved many people’s lives’ after reviewing CCTV footage.
The hero was working in the buffet carriage of the train, the Daily Mail understands.
It is thought the knifeman began attacking passengers in the next carriage before the bloody rampage swept through the buffet car, where a male worker attempted to stop him, sustaining serious wounds in the process.
Police on the platform at Huntingdon Station in Cambridgeshire on Saturday night following the attack
Terrified passengers were seen running along Huntingdon station’s platform 2 trying to escape
‘That man was an absolute hero,’ a rail source told the Daily Mail. ‘He fought this guy, who had a large knife, to try to stop him hurting any more passengers.’
British Transport Police this evening said an LNER staff member ‘remains in a life-threatening condition’.
It is understood that it was the train’s ‘Café Bar’ staff that alerted driver, named by friends as Royal Navy veteran Andrew Johnson, to the unfolding attack, enabling him to liaise with signal staff to route the train to Huntingdon instead of its next scheduled station stop at Stevenage, further south.
The 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in police custody.
Police said the man boarded the train at Peterborough station.
Passenger Olly Foster described the moment a young girl was saved by a ‘hero’ who shielded her from the knifeman.
He said: ‘A young girl was distraught as the attacker tried to stab her, but a hero of an older man got in the way taking a gash on his forehead and I think another on his neck.’
Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy said: ‘Our investigation is moving at pace and we are confident we are not looking for anyone else in connection to the incident.
‘As would be expected, specialist detectives are looking into the background of the suspect we have in custody and the events that led up to the attack.
‘This was a horrific attack that has had a wide impact. My thoughts and those of everyone in British Transport Police are with those injured and their families – especially the brave member of rail staff whose family are being supported by specialist officers.
‘Having viewed the CCTV from the train, the actions of the member of rail staff were nothing short of heroic and undoubtedly saved people’s lives.
‘My thanks to the public for their patience while we continue our investigation at Huntingdon station. We hope that we will be able to support GTR in reopening the station soon.
‘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.’
In a video, one man held a rag to his head as crimson-coloured blood seeped through
David Horne, Managing Director of LNER said on Sunday: ‘We are deeply shocked and saddened by yesterday’s incident and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected, particularly our colleague who remains in a life-threatening condition, and their family.
‘I would like to thank the emergency services for their quick and professional response and the care they provided to those injured. I would also like to recognise the driver, crew and our operational response colleagues for their bravery and quick actions.
‘This is a deeply upsetting incident. Over the coming days we will continue to cooperate with the authorities involved and will do everything we can to support our customers and colleagues during this very difficult time.’
Train driver Andrew Johnson, of Peterborough, has also been praised for his heroic actions which helped save passengers’ lives.
The Iraq war veteran rapidly diverted the London-bound train to Huntingdon station after being alerted to the mass stabbing, enabling emergency services to act fast.
Mr Johnson, who has been working as a train driver since 2018, served in the Royal Navy for 17 years, it is understood.
He was deployed to Iraq in 2003 during the second Gulf War.
He is understood to have finished his career as a Chief Petty Officer, after working as a weapons engineer.
Andrew Johnson (pictured) rapidly diverted the London-bound train to Huntingdon station after being alerted to the mass stabbing, enabling emergency services to act fast
Mr Johnson, who has been working as a train driver since 2018, served in the Royal Navy for 17 years, it is understood
The 6.25pm LNER service from Doncaster to King’s Cross in London had departed Peterborough station at 7.30pm when the knife attack started.
Mr Johnson was fundraising for the Royal British Legion at Waitrose supermarket just days before the attack.
Witnesses have been describing the horrific events which left passengers cowering in toilets for safety – while the carriages were spattered in blood.
Investigators at one point declared Code Plato, a word used by emergency services when responding to a ‘marauding terror attack’ – but police later said there was ‘nothing to suggest this is a terrorist incident’.
The latest footage which has emerged shows a knifeman in the moments immediately following the stabbings and the train stopping at Huntingdon.
He is filmed walking along a platform at the station, where the train was not scheduled to stop but was brought to an emergency halt as a result of the incident.
Blood-curdling screams are heard as the man dressed all in black and with a black hat vaults a fence, after terrified passengers were seen sprinting down the platform to escape – and a medic is heard saying: ‘Move down, move down. Please run, please run.’
Dazed passengers were also filmed stumbling off a train clutching blood-stained rags in striking footage obtained by the Daily Mail – with confused victims looking around themselves asking ‘where are we’ while trundling suitcases off the platform.
Police cars and Ambulances are pictured outside Huntingdon Station in Cambridgeshire
An ‘absolute hero’ – who is said to have used his head to block a knifeman from stabbing a young girl – is also understood to be in the recording.
Sirens can be heard blaring as the passenger holds a white rag to his head, with crimson-coloured blood seeping through.
Olly Foster was in coach H and was listening to an audio book when a man came running through his carriage screaming ‘Run! Run! There’s a guy stabbing literally everyone and everything’.
Mr Foster said he and some other travellers thought it was a ‘joke’ or a ‘Halloween prank’ at first but ‘quickly realised they were serious’ by the look on their face.
He explained how his hand was ‘covered in blood’ after he put it on a chair as he ran through the carriage.
‘There was blood on the top of countless chairs, coming from two of the guys who had been severely stabbed ahead of me,’ he said.
Mr Foster and other horrified passengers ran to the end of the short train and queued up where he and a few others tried to find a weapon to defend themselves with in case the attackers came.
