Two trains collide north of London, killing one and injuring dozens

At least one person died and several others were injured when two trains collided north of London on Friday afternoon, authorities said.

The collision occurred near Bedford, about 75 kilometres north of London, around 5:15 p.m. local time. Both trains were travelling towards London St Pancras station, according to rail tracking websites.

Emergency services, including an air ambulance and a hazardous incident team from the East of England Ambulance Service, responded to the scene. Police declared a major incident and worked alongside Bedfordshire Police and local fire and rescue services.

“We know that a number of people have been injured and one person has very sadly died,” police said in a statement.

Peter Knapp, a passenger on the rear train, said the collision occurred without warning. “There was a moment of being thrown forward into the seat in front, and then I saw smoke. People were crying and screaming. They were scared and confused,” he told reporters.

Knapp added that he saw fellow passengers who could not speak and had broken legs. He escaped by squeezing through a gap in the doors.

Photos and videos on social media showed dozens of people, some with bandages, standing among emergency vehicles on a road parallel to the tracks.

The RMT union, which represents railway workers, said it was monitoring the situation and expressed concern over reports of “serious injuries” sustained by both staff and passengers.

East Midlands Railway confirmed that the 4:40 p.m. train from Corby to St Pancras and the 3:50 p.m. train from Nottingham to St Pancras were involved. The company cancelled all trains to and from St Pancras for the rest of Friday and could not confirm Saturday’s schedule.

An investigation into the cause of the collision is expected to begin.