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A brave train staff member who intervened to protect travelers during a mass knife incident on a express train has suffered life-threatening injuries, authorities confirmed on Sunday.

Details of the Frightening Event

Surveillance footage reportedly shows the employee attempting to stop the assailant as the train journeyed between Peterborough and Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. Bystanders recounted a terrifying 14-minute period after the train left Peterborough, with bloodied passengers running through carriages.

The individual, a 32-year-old citizen from Peterborough, remains in custody for questioning. Authorities declared a major event on the 6:25 pm service from Peterborough to King's Cross in downtown London.

Emergency Response and Aftermath

The event on Saturday night led to 11 people being treated in medical facilities after the train made an unscheduled stop at platform 2 in Huntingdon. Five individuals have since been discharged from hospital.

A witness filmed the suspect waving a big knife and being subdued with a stun device as he faced officers on the station. He was reportedly heard shouting, "End my life, kill me."

“This awful event has created broad consequences. My thoughts and those of everyone in British Transport Police are with those injured and their families – particularly the courageous employee of rail staff whose relatives are being supported by specialist officers,” said a senior police official.

Union Reaction and Appeals for Action

Rail associations were swift to praise staff and call for more action. One union leader stated he would be “requesting immediate meetings with government, rail employers and police to ensure that we have the best possible assistance, resources and effective procedures in operation”.

Another union representative urged the train operator and government “to move quickly to examine safety, to help the impacted workers, and to ensure that no incident like this occurs again”.

Driver Praised for Rapid Thinking

The operator who stopped the train at Huntingdon was described as being “very shaken” but “good”, and has been praised by union officials for doing “exactly the right thing”.

“He didn’t halt the service in the center of two stations where it’s clearly difficult for the emergency services to reach, but he continued going until he arrived to Huntingdon, where the assistance was pretty much already there,” explained a union official.

Additional Details

Authorities said they received the first emergency calls at 7:39 pm, and the service was forced to make an unscheduled stop in Huntingdon at 7:50 pm.

An observer recounted initially wondering if the situation was a holiday joke, but soon realized from individuals' faces that it was serious.

Authorities have confirmed there is no evidence to indicate the event was a terror-related incident and have asked the community to provide with any further details.

Train operations on the affected line are expected to have disruption until the following day, with passengers recommended to postpone their journeys where possible.

Individuals with information that could assist the investigation are encouraged to contact police by sending a message a designated number with a reference code.