LONDON, June 20 – A train driver was killed and dozens of passengers were injured after two passenger trains collided near Bedford, north of London, on Friday, prompting a major emergency response and a full investigation by British authorities.
The British Transport Police (BTP) confirmed that the driver of one of the London-bound trains died at the scene. Authorities said the two trains were travelling on the same track when the collision occurred near Bedford, approximately 90 kilometres north of the British capital.
Emergency services rushed to the site, with 33 people taken to hospital, including 11 victims reported to be in serious condition. A further 56 passengers received treatment for less severe injuries.
Witnesses described a terrifying impact. Passenger Paul Cavin, who was travelling to London’s St Pancras station, said his train had come to a stop before it was suddenly struck from behind.
“We had stopped and then there was a heavy impact,” he told local media, adding that several people in his carriage were injured and many passengers left the scene with visible facial injuries.
Another survivor, Brett Byatt, said the emotional impact of the crash was only beginning to sink in.
“It still feels surreal, but now I’m starting to feel angry about what happened,” he said.
UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander urged caution against drawing early conclusions, stressing that investigators would carry out a comprehensive inquiry into the cause of the collision.
“It is too early to speculate,” she said, adding that authorities are committed to understanding how the accident occurred and preventing similar incidents in the future.
Rail accidents involving passenger trains are uncommon in the United Kingdom, where the network is generally regarded as one of the world’s safest. The incident has drawn comparisons to previous rare collisions, including an accident at Aviemore railway station in 2023 that left several people injured.
Investigators are expected to examine signalling systems, train operations and other technical factors as they work to determine the cause of the fatal crash.
