'Surge' of police to be seen at Leeds train station and on rail services after mass stabbing attack
Those passing through Leeds train station and using the services have been told to expect a “surge” in police following a mass stabbing on Saturday.
Extra police officers are being deployed across the rail network following the knife attack on a train near Huntingdon that was travelling from Doncaster to London, with disruption on the line expected to last until the end of Monday.
Two people were arrested and nine people left in a life-threatening condition following the shocking incident on an LNER train at around 7.42pm on Saturday, November 1.
Government sources have confirmed there will be a “surge” in police presence until at least Tuesday focusing on major terminals such as London, Birmingham, York, Leeds and Manchester, as well as at Huntingdon.
The police officers are likely to be most visible in London and at Huntingdon, but will be deployed across as much of the rail network as possible.
There will also be a visible police presence on trains on the east coast mainline, with sources saying officers usually focus on stations but it was “important to reassure passengers”.
British Transport Police (BTP) said on Sunday that two people remain in a life-threatening condition and that two men born in Britain are suspected of carrying out the attack, which is not believed to have been motivated by terrorism.
A statement on the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) website states that disruption between London Kings Cross and Peterborough is expected until the end of Monday with Huntingdon station remaining closed until at least then.
It says: “The emergency services are continuing to deal with a major incident between Hitchin and Peterborough. Whilst they carry out their work some lines are still closed.
“Great Northern and Thameslink services will not call at Huntingdon.
“LNER services between London Kings Cross and Peterborough may be cancelled, revised or delayed.
“Disruption is expected until the end of the day on Monday 3 November.
“Grand Central and Hull Trains services are not impacted.”
Huntingdon railway station remained taped off by police on Sunday morning – with the London-bound train still visible on the platform.
Superintendent John Loveless from British Transport Police said that passengers could expect to see a “high visibility presence of police officers at stations and on trains throughout today, up and down the transport network”.
He added: “Our officers are there to reassure the public and to address any concerns they may have.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Passengers will see a high visibility presence of officers at stations and on trains throughout today who are there to reassure the public.”
Transport Salaried Staffs Association general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said called on the Government to review railway security to protect workers and customers.
She said: “This is an appalling attack on passengers and rail workers alike.
“Our immediate priority is for the welfare of the injured and all those traumatised by what has happened.
“Transport networks must be safe for everyone, both the travelling public and the staff who serve them.
“We call on the operator and Government to act swiftly to review security, to support the affected workers and to ensure nothing like this happens again.”
The National Rail website says that lines affected by the disruption are the Great Northern between London Kings Cross and Peterborough, LNER between London Kings Cross and Lincoln, Doncaster, Leeds, Bradford Forster Square and Harrogate, and Thameslink between London Kings Cross, Welwyn Garden City, Hitchin and Peterborough.
It states: “Lines have reopened between Hitchin and Peterborough, and trains which run between London Kings Cross and Peterborough will be able to run.
“If you are travelling to or from Huntingdon, please expect your journey to take up to 20 minutes longer than usual.”
It states that a rail replacement bus service will be running between Huntingdon and St Neots and Peterborough with car parking season tickets for Huntingdon being accepted at St Neots while the station remains closed.