A knife attack occurred in Cambridgeshire last night (01/11) on the London North Eastern Railway service from Doncaster to London Kings Cross, leaving ten passengers seriously injured.

Shortly after the train’s departure from Peterborough, multiple passengers were stabbed on board. The first emergency calls were received by the British Transport Police at around 19:40 in the evening.

One witness reported hearing shouts of “they’ve got a knife, I’ve been stabbed” as a blood-covered passenger moved through the carriage calling for help.

Other witnesses described scenes of hiding in train toilets, with one observing “blood everywhere” and people being “stamped” on in the effort to escape the attacker.

The train made an emergency stop at Huntingdon station, just 20 miles north-west of Cambridge city centre, where armed police and paramedics boarded.

Superintendent Andrew Morgan of the British Transport Police described the response as “swift and coordinated,” crediting the train staff and passengers who assisted the wounded before emergency services arrived.

Two British men in their 30s were arrested at Huntingdon within eight minutes of the first 999 call.

While these arrests have been made, the motive for the attack remains unclear and the police are continuing their enquiries. A statement from the British Transport Police said: “At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that this is a terrorist incident”.

According to the British Transport Police, nine people suffered life-threatening injuries and a tenth was hospitalised with serious but non-life-threatening wounds.

Four have since been discharged from Addenbrooke’s Hospital, where they were receiving urgent care, and two remain in life-threatening condition at the hospital.

The incident was initially declared a “major incident”, and the national “Plato” code (used for marauding terror attacks) was briefly activated, although terrorism is now not being treated as a motive.

London North Eastern Railway has advised passengers to defer travel if possible on the route between London King’s Cross and Peterborough (and onwards) while investigations and forensic work continue.