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A valiant train employee who intervened to protect passengers during a mass knife attack on a express train has suffered critical injuries, police stated on Sunday.

Particulars of the Frightening Event

Surveillance video allegedly shows the employee attempting to halt the assailant as the train journeyed between Peterborough and Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. Bystanders recounted a frightening 14-minute duration after the train departed Peterborough, with injured passengers running through compartments.

The suspect, a 32-year-old citizen from Peterborough, remains in custody for interrogation. Authorities declared a significant event on the 6:25 pm service from Peterborough to King's Cross in central London.

Crisis Response and Aftermath

The incident on the weekend led to 11 people being treated in hospital after the train made an unplanned stop at platform 2 in Huntingdon. Several people have now been discharged from hospital.

A witness filmed the suspect brandishing a big knife and being subdued with a stun device as he confronted officers on the station. He was reportedly heard yelling, "Kill me, end my life."

“This was a horrific attack that has had a wide impact. My thoughts and those of everyone in British Transport Police are with those injured and their families – especially the brave employee of rail staff whose relatives are being assisted by trained personnel,” stated a high-ranking police official.

Union Response and Appeals for Measures

Rail associations were swift to praise staff and call for more measures. A union leader said he would be “requesting urgent meetings with government, rail employers and law enforcement to ensure that we have the best possible support, resources and robust procedures in place”.

A different union representative urged the train operator and authorities “to act quickly to examine security, to help the impacted workers, and to make sure that no incident like this occurs again”.

Operator Praised for Rapid Thinking

The train driver who halted the service at Huntingdon was reported as being “very shaken” but “well”, and has been praised by union representatives for doing “precisely what was needed”.

“He did not halt the service in the center of two stations where it’s obviously difficult for the first responders to access, but he carried on traveling until he arrived to Huntingdon, where the assistance was pretty much waiting,” stated a union representative.

Further Information

Police said they received the initial emergency reports at 7:39 pm, and the service was compelled to make an unplanned stop in Huntingdon at 7:50 pm.

One witness described at first thinking if the event was a Halloween prank, but soon understood from individuals' expressions that it was serious.

Authorities have stated there is nothing to suggest the incident was a terrorist attack and have asked the community to come forward with any additional details.

Rail operations on the affected route are anticipated to experience delays until the following day, with passengers advised to defer their travel where possible.

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation are asked to reach police by sending a message a designated number with a case code.