Two East Midlands Railway Trains Collide Near Bedford, Killing One and Injuring Nearly 90

One person died and nearly 90 people were injured after two passenger trains collided near Bedford in England on Friday evening, according to British Transport Police and the East of England Ambulance Service.

“Passenger train collision in England leaves 1 dead, nearly 90 injured, officials say The crash occurred in the Bedford area, according to British Transport Police”

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The crash occurred in the Bedford area, north of London, and involved two East Midlands Railway passenger trains, with one traveling from Corby to London and the other from Nottingham to London, the UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said.

ABC News

East of England Ambulance Service said it sent more than 20 ambulances to the scene, and it reported 11 people with very serious injuries and 22 with serious injuries.

British Transport Police Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy said, "We've declared a major incident and a significant emergency service response is ongoing," as police worked "at pace to establish exactly what's happened."

Passengers described panic and injuries to the BBC, including Teresa Itabor saying, "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," after the carriage doors jammed.

Dr Peter Knapp told the BBC he saw smoke and bloodied faces, saying, "It felt like I'd been in a bomb explosion," while he described chairs and people with legs looked broken.

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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the reports were "hugely concerning" and said, "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."

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was "deeply concerned" and thanked emergency services, writing, "I'm grateful to emergency services who are on the scene, attending to those affected," as trains were unable to run in or out of London St Pancras for the rest of the day.

Emergency services deployed a large response after the collision, with the East of England Ambulance Service sending more than 20 ambulances and six air ambulances, while British Transport Police declared a major incident.

The Bedford Independent said the Rail Accident Investigation Branch attended the scene and began gathering evidence, and it reported that Rail Accident Investigation Branch inspectors were on site to establish exactly what happened.

The East of England Ambulance Service said patients with the most serious injuries had been taken from the scene to hospital, and it reported 56 people with minor injuries treated at the scene or taken to hospital where needed.

Thameslink said all lines between Luton and Bedford were closed and that there was "currently no Thameslink service between Luton and Bedford," while the BBC reported nearly 90 people had been injured and over 30 of them seriously.