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At least 1 dead, several injured in England train collision
The crash happened around 5:15pm local time

At least 1 dead, several injured in England train collision

Jun 20, 2026
09:31 am

What's the story

A tragic accident occurred on Friday evening when two passenger trains collided near Bedford, a town in England about 90km north of London. The crash happened around 5:15pm local time and involved two trains traveling southbound to London St Pancras station. One train had left Corby at 4:40pm while the other departed Nottingham at 3:50pm.

Rescue operations

Major incident declared by British Transport Police

The East of England Ambulance Service confirmed the death of one person at the scene and reported 11 others with very serious injuries, 22 with serious injuries, and 56 with minor injuries. The deceased was identified as a train driver. This led the British Transport Police to declare a major incident.

Eyewitness account

Passengers describe horrifying moment of impact

Passenger Pete Knapp described the horrifying moment of impact, telling AP, "There was a moment of being flung into the chair in front, and then I saw smoke." He added that many passengers were injured and unable to speak. Despite the severity of the collision, both trains mostly remained upright on the tracks. However, at least one carriage appeared to have left the rails.

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Service suspension

Ambulances and trains services suspended

The East of England Ambulance Service dispatched over 20 ambulances and six air ambulances to the scene. All patients with the most serious injuries were taken to hospitals after treatment at the scene. Due to this incident, East Midlands Railway has suspended all train services in and out of London St Pancras for the rest of Friday. The schedule for Saturday is still uncertain.

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Investigation underway

Investigation underway, train accidents rare in Britain

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has sent a team of inspectors to the site to collect evidence. Tony Miles, a rail expert, was quoted as saying that it appeared to be a "relatively slow-speed collision" but warned that even such accidents could be "dangerous for people that are on board." Train accidents are rare in Britain, with the last major incident being in August 2020 when three people died near Stonehaven due to a landslip-related derailment.

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