Nine people in critical condition among 100 injured in fatal Bedford train crash
BBC News 2026-06-20 15:30:12
Context: A train crash near Bedford, involving two East Midlands Railway services to London St Pancras, resulted in the death of a train driver and injured 100 people on Friday at 17:15 BST. The incident occurred just south of Elstow, near the road interchange of the A421 and A6. Emergency services, including multiple air ambulance helicopters, road vehicles, and around 70 firefighters, responded to the scene.
Key Facts
- A train driver was killed and 100 people were injured when two East Midlands Railway (EMR) services to London St Pancras collided at 17:15 BST on Friday near Bedford.
- Twenty-eight people remained in hospital on Saturday, with nine of them in critical condition, and the East of England Ambulance Service reported that 11 people were very seriously injured, 32 were injured, and 57 had minor injuries.
- Chief Constable Lucy D'Orsi of British Transport Police (BTP) stated that the crash was being investigated, and specialist investigators from BTP were working with colleagues at the Rail Accident Investigation Branch to gather facts and determine what happened.
- The two trains involved were the 16:40 EMR train from Corby and the 15:50 Nottingham to London St Pancras service, and EMR services to and from London St Pancras were suspended throughout the weekend.
- Passengers described the crash as feeling like a "bomb explosion," with reports of people's bloodied faces, broken legs, and smoke everywhere, and multiple witnesses shared their experiences of the traumatic event.