Driver killed in UK train crash, nine people in critical condition

Driver killed in UK train crash, nine people in critical condition
Emergency service workers gather at the scene of a collision involving two trains near Bedford, Britain, 19 June 2026.
Reuters

A train driver has been killed and nine people remain in a critical condition in hospital, after two trains collided near Beford in the east of England on Friday. The passenger trains heading to London collided at around 17:15 local time (1615 GMT).  

Speaking on Saturday, British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D'Orsi said more than 80 people had received hospital treatment on Friday night.

"As of this morning, 28 remain in hospital, and nine are in a critical condition," she said.

Investigators were working to establish what caused the accident, D'Orsi added.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer described it as a "devastating incident" in a post on X.

Buckingham Palace also issued a statement, saying: "His Majesty [King Charles] is greatly saddened by the rail crash in Bedford yesterday evening and is being kept regularly updated on developments.

"His thoughts and sympathies are with the family of the deceased and with all those injured or affected by such a tragic incident."

People and emergency service workers gather near the scene of a collision involving two trains near Bedford, Britain, 19 June, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone.
Reuters

A video posted on social media on Friday showed what appeared to be the front of one train entangled with the back of another, with both still on the tracks.

The East of England Ambulance Service dispatched an air ambulance on Friday and urged people to avoid the area

Transport Minister Heidi Alexander said she was "deeply concerned" by reports of the collision in a post on X.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said on Friday that crews were at the scene of the incident just south of the town of Bedford.

Train operator East Midlands Railway was unable to run services in or out of London for the rest of the day on Friday, while Thameslink said all lines between Luton and Bedford were blocked due to a problem under investigation.

Peter Knapp, a doctor who said on social media site Bluesky he was on board one of the trains, described a "sudden crash" with one carriage off the rails and said he had sustained minor injuries.

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