Driver dead and 33 people seriously injured as Bedford train crash declared major incident
BBC News 2026-06-19 23:19:52
Context: A train collision occurred in the Bedford area on Friday afternoon, involving two southbound East Midlands Railway services, resulting in a major incident declaration by the British Transport Police. The incident happened at around 17:15 BST, just south of Elstow, near the road interchange of the A421 and A6. One train driver died, and 89 people were injured, with 11 suffering very serious injuries and 22 seriously injured.
Key Facts
- A train driver died and 89 people were injured, including 11 with very serious injuries and 22 with serious injuries, after two southbound East Midlands Railway services collided in the Bedford area on Friday afternoon.
- The crash involved two trains, the 16:40 EMR train from Corby to London St Pancras and the 15:50 Nottingham to London St Pancras, which collided just south of Elstow, near the road interchange of the A421 and A6.
- Passenger Dr Peter Knapp described the scene as "like a bomb explosion," with chairs everywhere, people's bloodied faces, and legs that "looked broken," and said he saw people spitting out blood.
- The RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said the union was "devastated to learn that a train driver and former RMT rep has tragically died" in the crash, and the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers expressed deep concern over the reports of the train collision and serious injuries.
- An air ambulance was dispatched as part of the emergency response to the collision, and aerial footage showed the two damaged trains with most carriages on the tracks but at least one shunted off.