Britain was shocked mass knife attack on a train on Saturday evening, the purpose of which was passengers as they traveled through central England on their way to London, in an incident that Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as “deeply disturbing”.
Nine people suffered life-threatening injuries, one of whom was still fighting for his life in hospital on Sunday evening, in what British Transport Police (BTP) declared a “major incident”.
Although two suspects in the attack were initially detained minutes after police received the first 911 call, BTP said on Sunday evening that only one person was currently being treated as a suspect.
A 32-year-old British man remains in custody after being arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, authorities said, adding that a 35-year-old British citizen of Caribbean origin was released without any further action.
Police are working to determine a motive but have previously said there is no evidence the attack is terrorism-related.
Here's what we know about the knife attack.
The London North Eastern Railway (LNER) high speed train departed the northern city of Doncaster at 6.25pm local time on Saturday evening, bound for London.
The train had just left Peterborough station in Cambridgeshire when the attack occurred.
Passenger Wren Chambers told the BBC she initially “heard screams and shouts” coming from one or two carriages before a man ran across the train with a “very clear wound” that was bleeding heavily.
Seeing people running past, Chambers grabbed her bag and coat. “I stood up and moved forward down the train behind them, trying to get as far down the train as I could.”
People fled through the carriages for safety, with some trying to barricade themselves in train toilets, said other witnesses who saw train seats covered in blood.
Police received the first emergency call at approximately 19:42 local time and immediately dispatched armed officers. Within eight minutes of the first ring, two initial The suspects were arrested after the train made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon station.
British news agency PA Media reported that armed police were running around the station platform, evacuating passengers and seeking to neutralize any ongoing threat.
One eyewitness, who gave his name as Gavin, described saw one of the men initially suspected of being the attacker hit with a police stun gun. “Basically, as they got closer to him, they started screaming, like, 'Get down, get down!'… I think he ended up getting hit by the taser,” he told Sky News.
The train remained at Huntingdon station on Sunday morning, with medical equipment and other debris seen scattered on the platform.
11 victims were treated at the hospital. Ten people were taken to hospital by ambulance, nine of them in life-threatening condition, and another person self-reported later that evening.
One person remains in hospital in life-threatening condition as of Sunday evening, according to BTP. A man, an LNER employee, who was on the train, “tried to stop the attacker,” the department added.
“Detectives reviewed CCTV footage from the train and it was clear that his actions were nothing short of heroic and undoubtedly saved the lives of many people,” the statement said.
Little other information about the victims, including their ages, has been provided at this stage.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing people with stab wounds and heavy bleeding.
While two men were arrested on Saturday night on suspicion of attempted murder, police said on Sunday evening that one of the men had been released from custody after they confirmed he was not involved in the crime.
The man still being held by authorities is a 32-year-old black British citizen from Peterborough, where he boarded the train shortly before the attack. He is now considered the only suspect in the attack.
“Our investigation is progressing rapidly and we are confident that we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident,” BTP Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy said in a statement on Sunday evening.
“As you would expect, specialist detectives are looking into the background of the suspect we have in custody and the events that led up to the attack,” he added.
Earlier on Sunday, police said there was no indication the attack was terrorism-related.
“At this stage there is no reason to believe this is a terrorist incident,” British Transport Police Superintendent John Loveless told reporters. “It would be inappropriate to speculate at this stage as to the cause of this incident.”
British Defense Secretary John Healey called the incident an “isolated attack” in an interview with Sky News.
The BTP initially announced “Plato” – the national code word in response to a “marauding terrorist attack” – and then canceled it.
The UK rarely experiences mass casualty events and has a low homicide rate compared to other Western countries.
Gun crime is particularly low, with 5,103 gun offenses recorded across the country last year, according to government statistics.
In comparison, knife crime overall has increased since 2011. There were around 51,527 knife crimes recorded in England and Wales in the previous 12 months to June 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Of these, 15,689 were recorded in London.
British politicians and other key figures expressed shock at Saturday's attack and expressed condolences to the victims.
“My thoughts are with all those affected and I thank the emergency services for their response. Anyone in the area should follow the advice of the police,” Starmer wrote on X.
Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said she was “deeply saddened to learn of the stabbings” and that her “thoughts go out to all those affected.”
In a statement released by Buckingham Palace, King Charles said: “My wife and I were truly shocked and appalled to learn of the horrific knife attack that took place on a train in Cambridgeshire last night.”
“Our deepest condolences and thoughts are with all those affected and their loved ones,” he added.
“We are particularly grateful to the emergency services for their response to this terrible incident.”
The East Coast Main Line, which the train traveled on, is one of the UK's busiest and most important rail routes. It connects major cities, stretching from London King's Cross to Edinburgh Waverley in Scotland.
