LONDON — A 32-year-old man has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder following a mass stabbing aboard a high-speed train in central England that left 11 people injured, nine of them critically.
The attack occurred Saturday evening on a London North Eastern Railway (LNER) service traveling from Doncaster to London. The suspect, identified as Anthony Williams of Peterborough, allegedly began stabbing passengers shortly after the train departed Peterborough station in Cambridgeshire.
British Transport Police declared the incident a “major emergency” and responded within minutes of the first call at 7:42 p.m. The train made an emergency stop at Huntingdon station, where armed officers arrested two men. One was later released.
Williams faces additional charges of actual bodily harm and possession of a bladed article. He is also charged with attempted murder and weapon possession in connection with a separate stabbing earlier that day at Pontoon Dock station in London.
Passengers described scenes of panic and bloodshed as people fled through carriages, some barricading themselves in toilets. Witnesses reported seeing train seats soaked in blood and victims with severe wounds.
One of the injured, a train crew member who attempted to stop the attacker, remains in critical but stable condition. Police praised his actions as “nothing short of heroic,” citing CCTV footage that showed him confronting the suspect.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed five people were still hospitalized as of Monday. Authorities have not released details about the victims’ identities or ages.
Police initially activated “Plato,” the national protocol for responding to a marauding terrorist attack, but later rescinded it after determining there was no evidence of terrorism.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood expressed deep sorrow over the incident, while Labour leader Keir Starmer thanked emergency responders and urged the public to follow police guidance. King Charles also issued a statement, saying he and Queen Camilla were “appalled and shocked” by the attack.
Knife crime in England and Wales has risen steadily over the past decade, with more than 51,000 offenses recorded in the year ending June 2025, according to government statistics. London accounted for over 15,000 of those cases.
The East Coast Main Line, where the attack occurred, is one of Britain’s busiest rail corridors, connecting London King’s Cross to Edinburgh Waverley and serving millions of passengers annually.
