Cambridge, England: Nine people are being treated for life-threatening injuries following a stabbing attack aboard a London North Eastern Railway (LNER) train near Cambridge in eastern England.
The stabbing attack prompted a massive emergency response, with police later confirming two arrests. According to British Transport Police (BTP), counterterrorism officers are assisting in the investigation as authorities work to establish the full circumstances and motivation behind the incident.
Initially, police activated the ‘Plato’ protocol, a national code word used during potential ‘marauding terror attacks.’ However, it was later rescinded after further assessment, and no motive has yet been disclosed.
The appalling incident on a train near Huntingdon is deeply concerning.
My thoughts are with all those affected, and my thanks go to the emergency services for their response.
Anyone in the area should follow the advice of the police.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) November 1, 2025
Chief Superintendent Chris Casey of BTP stated that, “We’re conducting urgent inquiries to establish what has happened, and it could take some time before we are in a position to confirm anything further. At this early stage, it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident.”
Cambridgeshire Constabulary noted that the armed police were deployed after reports of the stabbing attack were received on November 1 at 7:39 pm. The 6:25 pm LNER service traveling from Doncaster to London King’s Cross was stopped at Huntingdon station, where two men were arrested.
The East of England Ambulance Service declared a ‘large-scale response,’ dispatching multiple ambulances, tactical commanders, and its hazardous area response team. A spokesperson confirmed that ‘multiple patients’ were transported to nearby hospitals.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and confusion. At Huntingdon station, armed officers were seen pointing their weapons at a man on the platform holding a large blade before subduing him with a taser and restraining him.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said that she was ‘deeply saddened’ by the stabbing attack, urging the public to refrain from speculation at this stage. Meanwhile, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp described the stabbing attack as a ‘brutal mass attack,’ adding, “My thoughts are with all those injured or affected and the emergency services responding.”
Local MP for Huntingdon, Ben Obese-Jecty, commended the emergency services for their rapid intervention, noting, “I’ve simply never seen as big a response to an emergency incident as there was in terms of police, fire, and ambulance.”
London North Eastern Railway confirmed the incident occurred on one of its trains and has urged passengers not to travel due to ‘major disruption.’ National Rail also announced that Huntingdon station remains closed, with all lines blocked while investigations continue.
Police vehicles, fire units, and ambulance crews filled the station area on November 1 as emergency teams worked through the night. Cambridgeshire Constabulary has appealed for information, urging witnesses or anyone with relevant details to report online using incident number 495 of 1 November or to call 101.
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