Rail worker and driver hailed as heroes after stabbing on high-speed LNER service to London

Quick response and bravery helped avert greater tragedy

British police say just 11 minutes passed between the first emergency call reporting a stabbing aboard a high-speed London North Eastern Railway (LNER) service and the arrest of the suspect. Eleven people were taken to hospital; one railway employee remains in critical but stable condition.

What happened

The incident occurred on Saturday evening shortly after the service departed Peterborough station in Cambridgeshire. The first emergency call to Cambridgeshire police was logged at about 7:39 p.m. local time. Officers arrested a 32-year-old man on the platform at Huntingdon station by 7:50 p.m.

The rail employee who confronted the attacker has been named as Samir Zitouni, 48, who has worked for LNER for more than 20 years. He sustained critical injuries while attempting to stop the assailant and has been widely praised for his courage. LNER managing director David Horne said,

“In a moment of crisis, Sam did not hesitate as he stepped forward to protect those around him… His actions were incredibly brave.”

How the train was stopped safely

Officials credited the train driver and signalers for quickly diverting the service so it could stop at Huntingdon station instead of performing an emergency stop between stations. Open-source tracking indicates a signaler altered the train’s planned route at about 7:40 p.m., roughly one minute after the first call. After a neighbouring train left Huntingdon’s platform, the LNER service was routed in and stopped there by about 7:44 p.m.

Driver Andrew Johnson, a Peterborough resident who served 17 years in the Royal Navy, was praised for remaining calm and following protocol. He told ITV News he was “only doing my job” and paid tribute to his injured colleague. Union and LNER representatives said the driver acted exactly as trained.

Police response and investigation

Huntingdon station is close to the Cambridgeshire Constabulary headquarters, and both local response officers and armed units arrived quickly. Officers evacuated passengers, secured the scene and arrested the suspect, later named as Anthony Williams, 32, of Peterborough.

Williams has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder, one count of actual bodily harm, one count of possession of a bladed article, plus an additional attempted murder charge linked to an earlier incident at a London station the same day. He was remanded in custody after a Monday court appearance; his next hearing is scheduled for December 1. A second man initially detained at the scene was later released without charge.

Police said they are investigating the motive and have found no evidence to suggest the attack was terrorism-related. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood stated the suspect was not known to security services, counter-terror police or the Prevent programme.

Other incidents, victims and witnesses

Authorities are probing three other knife incidents in Peterborough believed to be linked to the attacker. One involved a stabbing in the city centre that left a 14-year-old with minor injuries. Among those hurt in the train attack is Scunthorpe United player Jonathan Gjoshe, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Passengers described scenes of chaos and courage. Witnesses said some people barricaded themselves in toilets while others sheltered in the buffet carriage; fellow travellers handed out blankets and first aid as they awaited help.

British Transport Police said detectives who reviewed CCTV concluded the rail worker’s actions “were nothing short of heroic and undoubtedly saved many people’s lives.” Investigations are ongoing.