A train driver has tragically lost their life and dozens of passengers sustained serious injuries after two passenger trains collided near Bedford. The incident involved two East Midlands Railway (EMR) services, with one striking the back of the other on the same track shortly after 5pm on Friday.
One passenger on board recalled being "flung into the chair in front, and then I saw smoke." The East of England Ambulance Service confirmed that the train driver had died, with 11 people sustaining "very serious" injuries and a further 22 seriously hurt. All those with the most critical injuries have since been transported to hospital for treatment. A further 56 people suffered minor injuries and were treated either at the scene or on arrival at hospital.
While the majority of carriages from both southbound trains remained on the tracks, at least one carriage derailed during the collision. The two services involved were the 4.40pm departure from Corby and the 3.50pm service from Nottingham, both heading for London St Pancras.
Passenger Pete Knapp described harrowing scenes of people "crying, screaming" and noted that some appeared to have suffered significant injuries. The 40 year old told the Press Association: "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. I got up and I saw a lot of people who were unable to speak, had broken legs, and then I managed to get out of the train and because I'm quite thin I was able to squeeze out through the gap in the doors."
Dr Knapp described witnessing people with "life-threatening, major injuries, minor injuries" as well as "people with bandages, people who couldn't see straight", while others, like himself, remained on their feet. He said: "I've got blood all over my trousers and my back hurts like hell but I'm all right." He stated that he had not noticed the train decelerating prior to the collision, though fellow passengers told him they had.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the crash as "hugely concerning" and said he is "grateful to the emergency services for their swift response to this tragic incident." Air ambulance helicopters landed at the scene following the collision, which occurred just south of the Elstow interchange between the A421 and the A6. A large convoy of emergency vehicles lined a rural road as rescue crews and passengers assembled in an adjacent field. Members of the public were urged to stay away from the crash site, while both Bedford Hospital and Luton and Dunstable University Hospital asked people to avoid their emergency departments "unless they have a genuine medical emergency" as they dealt with the incident.
EMR services to and from London remained cancelled for the remainder of the day. Digital train tracking systems revealed that the rolling stock involved in the crash consisted of a class 360 and a class 810, with the front of the former striking the rear of the latter. EMR began introducing class 810 trains last December, while class 360 models have been in operation for at least two decades.
A spokesperson for Network Rail, the organisation responsible for overseeing Britain's railway infrastructure, said: "We are supporting the efforts of emergency services on scene and our thoughts are with everyone involved." Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), confirmed that the person who lost their life in the collision near Bedford was the driver of one of the trains. He said: "We are devastated to learn that a train driver and former RMT rep has tragically died as a result of today's crash between Luton and Bedford. The thoughts of RMT are with their family, friends, colleagues and the Aslef trade union at this awful time."
Dave Calfe, general secretary of the train drivers' union Aslef, said: "Our thoughts tonight are with the family and friends of the driver who died in the crash near Bedford today and with the passengers who were injured in the accident. We want to thank the emergency services who responded so quickly, to help those on board, and are still at the scene."
Investigators from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch attended the scene to begin gathering evidence. This latest incident comes in the wake of a collision between two trains in mid-Wales in October 2024, which claimed the life of one passenger and left four others seriously injured. That crash represented Britain's first fatal multi-train accident in more than twenty-five years.
