Nine Bedford train crash victims fighting for life after rush hour rail disaster
Nine people are in a critical condition after two London-bound trains collided near Bedford, killing a train driver and injuring dozens of passengers.
More than 80 people were injured when the 16.40 time from Corby collided with the 15.50 time from Nottingham and support poured in from King Charles and Sir Keir Starmer, among others.
Footage from the scene on Saturday showed the crumpled end of what appeared to be a Luton Airport Express carriage positioned behind another as dozens of police officers and railway workers collected evidence.
Follow our live blog on the train crash here.
Around 28 members of the British Transport Police remained in hospital on Saturday afternoon, Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi said, adding that specialist investigators were working to determine the cause of the crash.
Passengers and witnesses described the devastating consequences of the collision, with some fearing they would be the target of a terrorist attack.
Brett Byatt, 40, said: BBC Radio 4 Everyone in the car “either had a serious wound that was bleeding profusely, or something where they couldn’t stand or move their neck, or I saw a woman’s leg was broken.”
“People in first class suffered stomach and rib injuries because they went to the tables they had in first class, and the way the EMR (East Midlands Railway) trains were configured with the seats was probably the worst possible configuration for a train crash.
“This morning feels surreal and I think I’ve moved into the anger phase now. I feel pretty angry,” she added.
One of the train passengers, Dr. Pete Knapp said he was thrown into the front seat and heard people crying and screaming, some with their legs broken.
“The first thing that came to my mind was that I had to get off the train in case of a terrorist attack, I thought it would be safer to get off the train,” he said, adding that the passengers were “taken and shaken like a dice.”
East of England Ambulance Service assistant paramedic Paul Gates said: “11 people have very serious injuries, 32 have serious injuries. A further 56 have minor injuries.”
Gates said paramedics took 54 people to six hospitals, while those in less severe conditions were treated at the scene.
Police remained near the scene on Saturday afternoon as the Rail Accident Investigation Branch launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, with assistance from National Rail, British Transport Police and East Midlands Railway.
Trains crashed due to a technical fault on railway lines, travel expert Simon Calder said on Saturday.
He said the lead train, which was heading late towards south London, came to a halt “due to a problem with the automatic warning system that alerts train drivers if there is a red signal ahead”. Sky News.
While the driver was traveling to resolve this issue he was on the same southern line from Corby at 4.40pm and collided with the stationary train. “The pictures we’ve seen are shocking, it’s really worrying that the train hit so hard it derailed,” Mr Calder added.
Speaking to the BBC, railway journalist Tony Miles said, “the signals [were] “Was it red and the train was passing them, or were the signals indicating the line was clear and if so, how did they know when the train ahead had stopped?”
He said investigators would “already know” what happened because of the airline-style black box recorders on the trains.
King Charles said he was “deeply saddened” by the incident and was kept regularly informed of developments.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “His thoughts and sympathies are with the family of the deceased and everyone injured or affected by such a tragic event.”
Commenting on X, Sir Keir Starmer added: “Reports of a collision involving two passenger trains near Bedford are extremely worrying.
“First and foremost, my thoughts are with the family of the man who sadly lost his life and those who were seriously injured.
“I am grateful to the emergency services for their rapid response to this tragic incident,” he said.
