One train driver has died and 89 other people have been injured after two passenger trains collided near Bedford on Friday evening in one of Britain’s worst rail disasters in recent years.
The crash happened at around 5:15 p.m. on the line between Bedford and Luton when a Nottingham-to-London St Pancras service reportedly came to a halt due to a safety fault and was subsequently struck from behind by a Corby-to-London St Pancras train.
Emergency services declared a major incident as police officers, firefighters, paramedics and several air ambulances rushed to the scene.
Authorities confirmed that the driver of the 4:40 p.m. Corby service died in the collision. A further 89 people were treated for injuries, with 11 passengers suffering very serious injuries.
Passengers described scenes of devastation inside the trains, with many thrown violently forward by the impact.
Brett Byatt, who was travelling on one of the trains, said approximately 90% of the people in his carriage were injured.
“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,” he said.
He recalled hearing a loud “boom” before passengers were hurled into one another.
Another passenger, Teresa Itabor, who had been travelling to London to celebrate her birthday, described horrifying scenes after the collision.
“We left Bedford station and there was a massive bang. I opened my eyes and that’s when I saw people on the floor with blood everywhere,” she said.
Pete Knapp likened the aftermath to “a bomb explosion”, saying he saw smoke inside the carriage and passengers with bloodied faces and what appeared to be broken limbs.
Student Qunnie Wu said many of those onboard suffered severe injuries.
“People were screaming and crying. They were screaming for help,” she said.
She added that some passengers were bleeding from their eyes, noses and mouths.
Images from the scene showed heavily damaged carriages and emergency workers assisting injured passengers, some of whom were trapped or unable to move.
The train drivers’ union, ASLEF, confirmed that the driver who died had been operating the Corby-to-London service.
ASLEF General Secretary Dave Calfe said the entire railway industry would be mourning the loss.
“The railway family will be feeling the sadness and sorrow of this tragedy,” he said.
Investigators are now working to determine the precise cause of the crash.
Early indications suggest the Nottingham service had stopped after developing a safety-related fault before it was struck by the following train.
Rail operators have advised passengers to avoid affected routes while recovery efforts and investigations continue.
Officials have not yet released the identity of the deceased driver, and support services are being provided to injured passengers and their families as Britain grapples with one of its deadliest rail accidents in recent years.
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