LONDON – Two British nationals have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after ten people were injured in a stabbing attack on a train connecting London to northern England on Saturday night, according to police.
Of the nine people believed to have life-threatening injuries, four have been discharged and two “remain in life-threatening condition,” Superintendent John Loveless said in an update Sunday morning.
“At this stage there is nothing to suggest this is a terrorist incident,” he added, noting that both suspects, men aged 32 and 35, were born in the UK and remain in separate police stations for questioning.
The identities of the suspects have not yet been released.
Police are working “to quickly establish all of the circumstances and motivations that led to this incident,” Loveless said.
Police and medics rushed to a train station in Huntingdon, northwest of Cambridge, after reports of a stabbing on a London-bound train at 7:42 p.m. GMT (3:42 p.m. ET). The train made an unscheduled stop when emergency services responded, according to British Transport Police and images from the scene on social media.
Cambridgeshire Police, who patrol the area, arrested two people at the scene in connection with the incident, authorities said.
“Eight minutes after a 999 call was made, two men were in police custody,” Loveless added.
A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service said numerous ambulances, tactical commanders, a hazard response team and two helicopters were sent to transport “multiple patients” to Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
A large police presence remained in Huntingdon on Sunday morning, with many roads closed around the station. Forensic tents were up and officers in white overalls were seen in the car park, while the train where the stabbings occurred was still parked on the platform.
British Defense Secretary John Healey told Sky News on Sunday that the nation’s threat level has not changed, adding that it remains “substantial,” meaning a future terrorist attack is considered “likely.”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack as “appalling” and “deeply worrying”, expressing sympathy for those affected and gratitude to the emergency workers who responded so quickly.
He had previously called knife crime a “national crisis”. The number of knife crimes in England and Wales has increased overall since 2011, according to government statistics, although it is 4.5% lower over the past year than in 2019/20.
Data from NHS England shows that 3,500 cases were recorded in hospitals in 2024/25 due to assaults with sharp objects, a decrease of 10.4% compared to the previous year.
King Charles and Queen Camilla said they were “shocked” after the attack and paid tribute to the emergency response.
“Our deepest condolences and thoughts are with all those affected and their loved ones,” the King wrote in a statement on Sunday.
Saturday’s violence caused widespread disruption across the rail network. London North Eastern Railway (LNER) issued a “Do Not Travel” alert for the affected line on Saturday and, although some lines reopened on Sunday, the company warned that further cancellations and delays were likely.
In an update earlier on Sunday, LNER chief executive David Horne said staff were “shocked and saddened” by the attack and praised the emergency services for their quick response.
British Transport Police said the train was the 6:25 p.m. GMT (2:25 p.m. ET) service from Doncaster, northern England, to London King’s Cross. Huntingdon is about 77 miles north of London.
