Passengers have described their horror following a fatal train collision near Bedford, with one person killed and dozens injured. The crash occurred when one East Midlands Railway (EMR) service struck the rear of another on the same line shortly after 5pm on Friday.
Passenger Accounts of Terror
Passenger Pete Knapp, 40, recalled being “flung into the chair in front” before seeing smoke. “People were crying, screaming, people were so scared and confused,” he said. “I saw a lot of people who were unable to speak, had broken legs, and then I managed to get out of the train because I’m quite thin I was able to squeeze out through the gap in the doors.” Dr Knapp noted people with “life-threatening, major injuries, minor injuries” and added, “I’ve got blood all over my trousers and my back hurts like hell but I’m all right.”
Brett Byatt, a teacher from Bedford, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he was among the few uninjured in his carriage. “Everyone else had either a serious wound that was bleeding profusely, or a situation where they couldn’t stand, or couldn’t move their neck, or I saw a woman’s snapped leg,” he said. He expressed anger over the incident, questioning why signal failures were not prevented.
Passenger Teresa Itabor described a “massive bang” and said, “I opened my eyes and that's when I saw people on the floor with blood everywhere.” Paul Calvin, another passenger, noted the driver’s cab was “pretty badly mashed up” and saw people with “smashed up noses”.
Official Reactions
The King is “greatly saddened” by the crash, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said, adding that his thoughts are with the deceased’s family and all affected. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the crash “hugely concerning” and thanked emergency services. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed a “full investigation will take place”.
British Transport Police reported the driver of one train was killed and 33 people were taken to hospital with serious injuries. A huge emergency response included multiple air ambulances and road vehicles. Bedford Hospital and Luton and Dunstable University Hospital urged only genuine emergencies to attend.
Rail Service Impact
EMR trains between Bedford and London St Pancras have been suspended until at least Monday. The rolling stock involved were a class 360 and class 810, with the former hitting the rear of the latter. EMR began rolling out class 810s in December last year, while class 360s are at least 20 years old.
Eddie Dempsey of the RMT union expressed devastation over the death of a train driver and former RMT rep. Dave Calfe of Aslef thanked emergency services and offered condolences. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is gathering evidence at the scene, with police maintaining road closures.
The crash follows a fatal collision between two trains in mid-Wales in October 2024, which was Britain’s first fatal multiple-train crash in over 25 years.
