Videos from the scene showed people covered in blood on the train floor, with walking wounded evacuated to a field by the side of the railway line. Witnesses said the crash was similar to a “bomb explosion”, leaving passengers with broken legs and bloodied faces.
British Transport Police (BTP) declared a “major incident”, adding in a statement: “We know that a number of people have been injured and one person has very sadly died.”
Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of the RMT union, said: “We are devastated to learn that a train driver and former RMT rep has tragically died as a result of today’s crash between Luton and Bedford. The thoughts of RMT are with their family, friends, colleagues and the Aslef trade union at this awful time.”
Sir Keir Starmer posted on X: “First and foremost, my thoughts are with the family of the person who has sadly lost their life, and with those who have been seriously injured. I am grateful to the emergency services for their swift response to this tragic incident.”
East of England Ambulance Service said five air ambulance helicopters were sent to the scene. Bedford Hospital expected at least 50 casualties to require treatment and ordered “all hands on deck”, according to The Times.
‘People were screaming and crying ’
One passenger, Dr Peter Knapp, told The Telegraph: “The front carriage collided into the front of another … I saw all of the chairs everywhere and it felt like I’d been in a bomb explosion. I saw people with bloodied faces, and people’s legs looked broken. There was smoke everywhere.”
Dr Knapp, 40, an air quality scientist, said he was left with back pain and gashes to his legs, and initially thought there had been a terror attack.
He said: “There was a sudden collision, no warnings, screeching of wheels, no alarms, sirens, no explosions, just a sudden impact. And then, because I was at the front carriage of the train, there was a huge cloud of smoke everywhere, people were all over the aisles.
“People had totally bloodied faces, legs broken, people were screaming and crying and scared, frightened, and I didn’t know what to do.”