Train driver killed and 89 injured after ‘like a bomb explosion’ crash near Bedford

A train driver has been killed and 89 people injured after two passenger trains collided south of Bedford, with passengers describing a scene of ‘bloodied faces’, broken limbs and smoke ‘everywhere’. The fatal crash, which occurred shortly after 17:00 BST on Friday, involved two East Midlands Railway services – a 16:40 from Corby to London St Pancras and a 15:50 from Nottingham to the same destination. British Transport Police declared a major incident after being called to reports of a collision near Elstow, where the A421 meets the A6. The East of England Ambulance Service said 11 people suffered ‘very serious injuries’, 22 were seriously hurt, and a further 56 had minor injuries. ‘I felt like I'd been in a bomb explosion,’ said passenger Peter Knapp, who told the BBC he saw bloodied faces and people with broken legs. Shola Mene, another passenger, said people flew out of their seats, including someone who hit her husband in the face. ‘There was a lot of blood. A lot of people had facial injuries,’ she said. Graphic footage from inside a carriage showed bloodied passengers lying on the floor, some with bandages around their heads sitting on the railway after evacuation. Dr Pete Knapp, a passenger, described the moment of impact: ‘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.’ He added on social media: ‘Sudden crash, no slowing down or horns. No warning.’ It has been claimed one of the trains hit another that was either stationary or moving slowly on the same line. The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) general secretary Eddie Dempsey confirmed the train driver’s death ‘as a result of today’s crash between Luton and Bedford’, adding that the driver was a former RMT rep. ‘The thoughts of RMT are with their family, friends, colleagues and the ASLEF trade union at this awful time,’ he said. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called reports of the collision ‘hugely concerning’ and said his thoughts were with the family of the person who died and with those seriously injured. Health Secretary James Murray thanked first responders who were helping those affected. More than 30 emergency vehicles were scrambled to the scene, including an air ambulance. Bedford Hospital and Luton and Dunstable University Hospital asked people to avoid their emergency departments unless they had a genuine medical emergency, as they supported the incident. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch said a team of inspectors was on site trying to find out exactly what had happened. The railway line between Luton and Bedford remained blocked, with all East Midlands Railway trains to and from London St Pancras suspended for the rest of the day.