LONDON — Two British nationals have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after ten people were injured in a stabbing attack on a train that connects London to the North of England on Saturday night, according to police.
Of the nine people thought to have life-threatening injuries, four have been discharged, and two “remain in a life-threatening condition,” Superintendent John Loveless said in an update on Sunday morning.
“At this stage there is nothing to suggest that this is a terrorist incident,” he added, noting that both suspects, men aged 32 and 35, were born in the United Kingdom and remain in separate police stations for questioning.
Britain’s interior minister Shabana Mahmood said the emergency services had “saved lives” and praised the “exceptional bravery of staff and passengers on the train.”
“We now know this attack is not being treated as terrorism, and that two British-born, British nationals have been arrested,” she posted on X.
The identities of the suspects have not yet been released.
Police are working “to establish at pace the full circumstances and the motivations that have led to this incident,” said Loveless.
Police and medics rushed to a train station in Huntingdon, northwest of Cambridge, after reports of a stabbing on a London-bound train at 7:42 p.m. GMT (3:42 p.m. ET). The train made an unscheduled stop as emergency services responded, according to British Transport Police and social media footage from the scene.
Cambridgeshire Police, which patrols the area, arrested two people at the scene in connection with the incident, authorities said.
“Within eight minutes of a 999 call being made, two men were in police custody,” Loveless added.
An East of England Ambulance Service spokesperson said it scrambled numerous ambulances, tactical commanders, a hazardous response team, and two helicopters to transport “multiple patients” to Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
A large police presence remained at Huntingdon on Sunday morning, with many roads closed around the station. Forensic tents were up with officers in white overalls spotted in the car park, while the train where the stabbings took place was still parked on the platform.
British Defence Secretary John Healey told Sky News earlier on Sunday that the nation’s threat level is unchanged at “substantial,” which means a future terror attack is considered likely.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the attack as “appalling” and “deeply concerning.” He has previously called knife crime a “national crisis.” The number of offences involving a knife across England and Wales has risen overall since 2011, according to government statistics, though it is 4.5% lower over the past year than in 2019/20.
Data from the National Health Service in England shows there were 3,500 cases recorded in hospitals in 2024/25 due to assault by a sharp object, a 10.4% decrease compared to the previous year.
King Charles and Queen Camilla said they were “shocked” following the attack, and paid tribute to the emergency response.
“Our deepest sympathy and thoughts are with all those affected, and their loved ones,” the King wrote in a statement Sunday.
The violence on Saturday prompted widespread disruption across the rail network. London North Eastern Railway (LNER) issued a “Do Not Travel” alert for the affected line on Saturday, and while some lines reopened Sunday, the company warned that further cancellations and delays were likely.
In an update early Sunday, LNER Managing Director David Horne said staff were “shocked and saddened” by the attack and praised emergency services for their swift response.
British Transport Police said the train was the 6:25 p.m. GMT (2:25 p.m. ET) service from Doncaster in the North of England to London King’s Cross. Huntingdon is about 77 miles north of London.
Dennis Romero and Jamie Gray contributed.
