Nine Bedford train crash victims fight for life as 100 injured and driver killed
A passenger on board one of the trains reported being “flung into the chair in front, and then I saw smoke”.
Investigations continue after a train driver was killed and dozens of others were seriously injured when two passenger trains collided near Bedford.
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The crash involved two East Midlands Railway (EMR) services, when one smashed into the back of the other on the same line shortly after 5pm on Friday.
A passenger on board one of the trains reported being “flung into the chair in front, and then I saw smoke”.
A train driver was killed, and 28 people are still in hospital, with nine in a critical condition, according to British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi.
A further 56 people sustained minor injuries.
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Speaking at a press conference near the scene on Saturday, Ms D’Orsi said: “Tragically, the driver of one of the trains died in the collision.
“His family have been informed, and our deepest condolences are with them, his friends, and his colleagues at East Midlands Railway.
“The driver’s family, as you would expect, are being supported by specially trained officers at this difficult time.
“Over 80 people were treated at hospital last night. As of this morning, 28 remain in hospital, and nine are in a critical condition," she added.
Network Rail, which manages Britain’s rail infrastructure, said its “absolute priority” was ensuring “everyone receives the care and support they need”.
Most carriages of the two southbound trains remained on the tracks but at least one derailed.
The two trains involved were operating the 4.40pm departure from Corby and the 3.50pm departure from Nottingham, both to London St Pancras.
Passenger Pete Knapp described people “crying, screaming” and said some seemed to have major injuries.
Dr Knapp, 40, said: “There was a moment of being flung into the chair in front, and then I saw smoke. People were crying, screaming, people were so scared and confused.
“I got up and I saw a lot of people who were unable to speak, had broken legs, and then I managed to get out of the train and because I’m quite thin I was able to squeeze out through the gap in the doors.”
Dr Knapp said he saw people with “life-threatening, major injuries, minor injuries” as well as “people with bandages, people who couldn’t see straight”, while others like him were still able to walk.
He said: “I’ve got blood all over my trousers and my back hurts like hell but I’m all right.”
He said he had not felt the train slow down before the crash but other passengers told him they had.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the crash as “hugely concerning” and said he was “grateful to the emergency services for their swift response to this tragic incident”.
There was a huge emergency response to the crash, which happened just south of the Elstow interchange between the A421 and the A6.
It included multiple air ambulance helicopters and road vehicles.
A passenger on one of the trains that collided said he thought 90 per cent of people on his carriage had serious injuries, could not stand or move their neck.
Brett Byatt said: “The people in first class ended up with stomach and rib injuries, because they went into the tables they have in first class, and EMR (East Midlands Railway) trains, the way that they’re structured with seats, was probably the worst way it could have been structured for a train crash, in the sense that there’s nothing… because they’re, they face each other in the three by three and the two by three, and the seat… when people flew into one another, the seats that they were on, like, broke backwards into the people behind them.”
The teacher, who lives in Bedford and was unharmed in the crash, added: “I’ve said before that I’d probably say 90 per cent of the people on my carriage had injuries, I’d probably say from three to four of us were uninjured in a full carriage.
“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, or I saw a woman’s snapped leg. “
People were asked to avoid the scene.
Bedford Hospital and Luton and Dunstable University Hospital both asked people not to attend their emergency departments “unless they have a genuine medical emergency”.
EMR trains between Bedford and London St Pancras have been suspended until at least Monday.
Online train trackers show the rolling stock involved in the crash were a class 360 and class 810. The front of the former hit the rear of the latter.
EMR began rolling out class 810s in December last year, and class 360s are at least 20 years old.
Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), said: “We are devastated to learn that a train driver and former RMT rep has tragically died as a result of (Friday’s) crash between Luton and Bedford.
“The thoughts of RMT are with their family, friends, colleagues and the Aslef trade union at this awful time.”
Dave Calfe, general secretary of the train drivers’ union Aslef, said: “Our thoughts tonight are with the family and friends of the driver who died in the crash near Bedford (on Friday) and with the passengers who were injured in the accident.
“We want to thank the emergency services who responded so quickly to help those on board.”
A team of Rail Accident Investigation Branch inspectors went to the site to gather evidence.
The crash follows a collision between two trains in mid-Wales in October 2024 in which one passenger died and four other people were seriously hurt.
That was Britain’s first fatal crash involving multiple trains for more than a quarter of a century.