Driver dies and nine people critically injured in Bedford train crash

A train driver has died and nine people were critically injured after two trains collided in the Bedford area, with police declaring it a major incident.

British Transport Police (BTP) said more than 80 people were injured, 64 were taken to medical facilities and twenty-eight remain in hospital.

The crash involved two southbound East Midlands Railway (EMR) services, both of which had been travelling to London St Pancras on Friday afternoon. The cause of the incident is still under investigation.

Chief Constable Lucy D'Orsi said the crash was being investigated and asked people to refrain from speculating about what happened.

She added that thoughts were with the driver's friends and family, who were being supported by specially trained officers, and she thanked local people for their "immense kindness" to passengers stranded on trains, and to casualties.

BTP declared a major incident following the collision, which took place at around 17:15 BST.

EMR services to and from London St Pancras have been suspended throughout the weekend, with trains starting and ending journeys in Bedford.

D'Orsi said: "There will of course be a lot of questions as to what happened last night.

"I would like to reassure everyone that specialist investigators from BTP are working with colleagues at the Rail Accident Investigation Branch to gather the facts and determine what has happened.

"They are extremely experienced, and I would ask that we all refrain from speculation."

She praised the emergency services, the National Air Service, Network Rail and EMR for their "absolutely incredible work in tragic and challenging circumstances".

"They were outstanding," she said.

Will Rogers, managing director of EMR, said it was on the scene with Network Rail and emergency services to ensure those affected got the care and support they needed.

"This is a profoundly sad day for the rail community," he added.

RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said the union was "devastated to learn that a train driver and former RMT rep has tragically died" in the crash.

Passenger Dr Peter Knapp told the BBC he had been travelling in the front carriage of the train that crashed into the other.

"When I got up, I saw all of the chairs everywhere. It felt like I'd been in a bomb explosion," he said.

"When I got up, I saw people's bloodied faces and people's legs looked broken and there was smoke everywhere."

Speaking from the side of the road in the aftermath, Knapp said the police had been taking passengers' details while some were being taken to hospital.

"Some people are spitting out blood," he said.

Shola Mene, another passenger on one of the trains involved, said she heard a "big bang", adding: "People flew from their seats... and then someone just flew across and hit my husband in the face.

"There was a lot of blood. A lot of people had facial injuries," she said.

Following the collision, there had been a lot of confusion about what had happened, Mene said.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was "deeply concerned" by the news of the collision and the death.

"My thoughts are with all of those affected," she told the media on Friday evening, "especially the people who've been injured, their friends and their family".

Asked about the cause of the fatal incident, Alexander said that it was "too early to speculate".

"We will make sure that there's a thorough investigation done to establish how this collision happened and to ensure that lessons are learned so that we don't have an incident like this ever again," she said.

"The UK railways are some of the safest in the world," she added. "It's very unusual for this to happen on the network."

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch said a team of inspectors had attended the site to begin gathering evidence, adding it would find out "exactly what happened and come up with recommendations to prevent the same thing happening again".

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the incident as "deeply concerning", adding: "My thoughts are with the family of the person who has sadly lost their life, and with those who have been seriously injured."

An air ambulance was dispatched as part of the emergency response to the collision, which happened just south of Elstow, near the the road interchange of the A421 and A6.

Aerial footage of the aftermath shows the two damaged trains with most of their carriages on the tracks but at least one shunted off.

The two trains involved were the 16:40 EMR train from Corby to London St Pancras and the 15:50 Nottingham to London St Pancras at Bedford South, an EMR spokesperson said.

Teresa Itabor, from Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, told the BBC she got on the train at 16:57 at Wellingborough and was heading to the capital to celebrate her birthday.

"We left Bedford station and there was a massive bang... I didn't know what was going on. My head hit the seat in front of me," she said.

"I opened my eyes and that's when I saw people on the floor with blood everywhere."

A spokesperson for the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers said: "We are deeply concerned by reports of a train collision between Bedford and Luton and the serious injuries sustained by on-board train staff and passengers.

"The thoughts of the whole union are with those affected and we continue to monitor the situation."

EMR has advised travellers to use alternative routes over the weekend, saying tickets that had already been bought could be used at no extra cost to travel with other operators.