‘People were screaming and crying’: Witness recalls being ‘flung’ into chair as trains collided near Bedford
A witness has described how people were “crying and screaming” after a train crash near Bedford on Friday.
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue attended the scene just south of Bedford and police confirmed two trains had collided in the area.
Aerial footage of the aftermath showed two damaged East Midlands Railway (EMR) trains with most carriages on the tracks but at least one shunting.
Footage showed a long queue of emergency vehicles on a rural road as emergency crews and passengers gathered in a neighboring area.
Eyewitness Dr. Pete Knapp, 40, said: “I was thrown into the front chair for a moment, then I saw smoke. “People were crying, screaming, people were very scared and confused.
“I stood up and saw many people who couldn’t speak and whose legs were broken, then I managed to get out of the train and because I was quite weak I managed to get out through the gap in the doors.”
He added: “My first thought was that I needed to get off the train in case of a terrorist attack, I thought it would be safer to get off the train.”
Dr Knapp said he did not feel the train slowing down before the accident, but other passengers did.
He said he saw people with “life-threatening injuries, seriously injured people, slightly injured people” as well as “people bandaged, people who couldn’t see properly” while others like him were still able to walk.
Dr Knapp added: “There’s blood all over my trousers and my back hurts like hell but I’m fine.”
A passenger on the Luton Airport Express train said “we were hoisted and shaken like dice” at the time of the crash, and said “there must have been 100 ambulances, police cars and fire engines” at the scene.
The female passenger, who did not want her name to be disclosed, said: Telegram: “It’s as if the car we were in was lifted and shaken like a dice.”
He added that panels fell from the ceiling, people fell from seats and suitcases fell from upper shelves onto people lying on the floor.
He continued: “One of our group said, ‘I think I broke my arm,’ and he put a sling he made out of a cardigan around his arm. There are a lot of cuts, bruises, confused people. Everyone is shaken. The women I’m with have headaches.”
The public was asked to stay away from the area.
One of the trains appears to be the Luton Airport Express service and air ambulance helicopters are on the ground.
The collision occurred just south of the Elstow junction between the A421 and the A6, and British Transport Police asked relatives and friends of the passengers not to attend the scene.
A spokesperson for the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said staff and passengers on board were reported to have suffered serious injuries.
A passenger said he fell at 5.12pm while on a south train heading to London St Pancras and said “the front of the train is OK, the third carriage has derailed”.
The service said EMR trains “will not be able to enter or exit” London St Pancras for the remainder of the day.
He added: “Customers are advised NOT to travel this evening.”
Transport Minister Heidi Alexander said she was “deeply concerned” by the reports.
In a post on X, he said: “I am deeply concerned to hear reports of the collision involving 2 East Midlands Railway passenger trains.
“I am grateful to the emergency services who were at the scene and treated those affected.
“We are working quickly with the rail industry and local partners to support passengers.”
Bedford and Kempston MP Mohammad Yasin said he was “very sorry” to hear about the incident and would share more information “soon”.
In a post on his Facebook page he said: “I am so sorry to hear there has been a train crash between Bedford and Luton. “Emergency services are at the scene.
“I will try to share more details soon.”
Maryam Eslamdoust, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staff Association, said it was “devastating to hear the news of the collision” and that “safety on our railways is always our number one priority”.
He added: “It is now vital to allow emergency services to do their job.
“The entire union’s thoughts are with the passengers, staff and emergency services workers on the trains involved. We send all our solidarity to them.”
British Transport Police said shortly before 6.45pm: “We are responding to reports of a collision involving two trains in the Bedford area.”
He later added: “We understand people are concerned about relatives or friends traveling on the trains involved in the incident near Bedford.
“We would ask people not to attend the scene and wait for updates from emergency services.”
The fire and rescue service said: “Crews are currently responding to an incident on the railway just south of Bedford.
“Please avoid the area. Thank you for your cooperation.”
East of England Ambulance Service said: “We have deployed a number of resources, including an air ambulance and our Hazardous Area Response Team, to a major incident on the railway south of #Bedford. We would encourage people to avoid the area.”
“Further updates will be provided over time. Please call 999 in emergencies only.”
