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A courageous train employee who stepped in to protect passengers during a mass knife attack on a express train has suffered life-threatening injuries, police confirmed on Sunday.

Details of the Terrifying Event

Surveillance video reportedly shows the staff member trying to stop the assailant as the train journeyed between a city and another station in Cambridgeshire. Witnesses recounted a frightening 14-minute period after the train departed Peterborough, with injured passengers fleeing through compartments.

The suspect, a 32-year-old British national from Peterborough, is in detention for questioning. Authorities declared a significant incident on the 6:25 pm service from Peterborough to King's Cross in downtown London.

Crisis Response and Aftermath

The incident on Saturday night resulted in 11 people being cared for in medical facilities after the train made an unplanned stop at the station in Huntingdon. Five people have now been discharged from hospital.

A witness filmed the suspect waving a big knife and being subdued with a stun device as he confronted officers on the platform. He was allegedly heard shouting, "Kill me, end my life."

“This was a horrific attack that has had a wide impact. Our sympathies go out to the injured and their loved ones – especially the courageous employee of train personnel whose family are being supported by trained officers,” said a high-ranking police officer.

Labor Reaction and Appeals for Action

Rail associations were swift to commend staff and call for more measures. A labor leader stated he would be “requesting urgent meetings with authorities, train companies and law enforcement to ensure that we have the strongest available assistance, resources and robust protocols in operation”.

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

Driver Commended for Rapid Action

The train driver who stopped the service at Huntingdon was reported as being “deeply affected” but “good”, and has been commended by association representatives for doing “exactly the right thing”.

“He didn’t halt the service in the middle of two stops where it’s clearly challenging for the first responders to reach, but he continued going until he got to Huntingdon, where the response was almost already there,” stated a union representative.

Additional Information

Authorities stated they got the first distress calls at 7:39 pm, and the train was forced to make an unscheduled stop in Huntingdon at 7:50 pm.

An witness described initially wondering if the event was a holiday joke, but quickly understood from people's faces that it was serious.

Authorities have confirmed there is no evidence to suggest the event was a terrorist attack and have requested the public to provide with any additional information.

Train operations on the affected route are expected to have disruption until the following day, with passengers advised to defer their journeys where possible.

Individuals with information that could help the inquiry are encouraged to reach authorities by sending a message a specific number with a case code.