One Dead, Dozens Injured After Two Trains Collide in the United Kingdom

One person has been killed and dozens injured after two passenger trains collided north of London on Friday, emergency services confirmed.

The crash took place in the late afternoon near Bedford, about 90 kilometres north of the UK capital. According to East Midlands Railway (EMR), both trains were travelling towards London and were operating on the same track at the time of the collision.

The East of England Ambulance Service said in an update that 11 people suffered “very serious injuries”, 22 others were seriously injured, and a further 56 sustained minor injuries. Minor cases were treated either at the scene or taken to hospital as needed.

“There was a moment of being flung into the chair in front, and then I saw smoke. People were crying, screaming, people were so scared and confused,” said passenger Pete Knapp, who described the incident as chaotic and terrifying.

Another passenger, Teresa Itabor, told the BBC she heard “a massive bang” before hitting her head on the seat in front. “I opened my eyes and that’s when I saw people on the floor with blood everywhere,” she said.

Emergency responders, including more than 20 ambulances and six air ambulances, were deployed to the scene. British Transport Police declared a major incident, while the Rail Accident Investigation Branch sent inspectors to begin gathering evidence.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident as “hugely concerning” and expressed condolences to the victim’s family and those injured. He also praised the rapid response of emergency services.

An EMR spokesperson confirmed that both trains were bound for London St Pancras station, one departing from Corby and the other from Nottingham. Services in and out of St Pancras were disrupted for the remainder of the evening.

Unverified footage shared on social media showed passengers walking along the tracks near the damaged trains, which remained upright though at least one carriage appeared to have derailed.

Rail experts said the collision appeared to be relatively low-speed, but warned that even such incidents can cause serious injuries to passengers.

Train accidents are rare in the United Kingdom, though several incidents have occurred in recent years, including a fatal derailment in Scotland in 2020 and a collision in the Highlands in 2023.