LONDON — Two passenger trains collided near Bedford in eastern England on Friday evening, killing one train driver and injuring dozens of people, according to British authorities, prompting a major emergency response and an investigation into one of the country's most serious rail accidents in recent years.
The collision occurred south of Bedford on the Midland Main Line, a key route linking London St Pancras with communities in central England. British Transport Police, ambulance services and fire crews were dispatched after reports of a crash involving two East Midlands Railway trains. Officials said the trains involved were a service traveling from Corby to London and another traveling from Nottingham to London.
The East of England Ambulance Service said 89 people were injured in the incident. According to the service, 11 people sustained very serious injuries, 22 suffered serious injuries and dozens more were treated for minor injuries. Authorities confirmed that one of the train drivers died.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene following the impact. Passenger Peter Knapp told the BBC he felt as though he had been in “a bomb explosion,” describing injured passengers, smoke and a large emergency response at the scene.
East Midlands Railway said it was working with Network Rail and emergency services following the crash. The operator suspended services on affected sections of the route while responders attended the scene and investigators began their work.
British Transport Police said officers were coordinating with other emergency agencies, while the Rail Accident Investigation Branch launched an inquiry into the circumstances of the collision. Officials have not yet announced a cause, and details about how the trains came to collide remain unclear.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander expressed condolences to those affected and thanked emergency personnel for their response, according to statements issued after the incident.
As of Saturday, investigators remained at the site near Bedford, and rail services on parts of the route continued to face disruption. Authorities said inquiries into the crash were ongoing and that further information would be released as it becomes available.
