Nine people remain in a critical condition and 28 are still being treated in hospital after Friday evening’s fatal train collision south of Bedford.
Emergency services and rail investigators remained at the scene near Elstow on Saturday as British Transport Police provided an update on the casualties.
The collision between two East Midlands Railway passenger trains claimed the life of one of the drivers and left dozens of passengers and rail staff injured.
Read: One person dies and dozens injured after passenger trains collide near Bedford
The collision happened shortly after 5pm on Friday, 19 June, when the 4.40pm East Midlands Railway service from Corby to London St Pancras collided with the 3.50pm service from Nottingham to London St Pancras.
A major incident was declared, triggering a large-scale emergency response involving police, firefighters, ambulance crews, air ambulances, hospital staff and rail personnel.
Ampthill Road in Elstow from Manor Road to the Interchange Way at Kempston remains closed.
Driver killed
Speaking at a press conference at the scene this afternoon (Saturday), British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi said her “deepest condolences” were with the family, friends and colleagues of the train driver who died.
She said more than 80 people had been treated in hospital following the collision.
Today, 28 people remain in hospital, including nine people in a critical condition.
“There will be a lot of questions on what exactly happened on Friday evening,” she said.
Specialist investigators from British Transport Police are working alongside the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) to establish the facts and determine the circumstances of the collision.
She urged people not to speculate while investigations continue and thanked emergency responders and local residents who had shown “immense kindness” to stranded passengers.
Chief Fire Officer, Andy Hopkins of Bedfordshire Fire and Recue Service (BFRS) also spoke at the press conference.
He said they mobilised over 20 fire appliances and specialist vehicles, and at the height of the response, over 70 firefighters and officers were involved at the scene.
This included specialist mutual aid resources from neighbouring services.
“There was no fire, and our crews worked alongside other partner agencies to undertake rescues and assist with the evacuation of passengers from both trains,” he said.
Adding, “This was a major incident, requiring a substantial and coordinated emergency response. I’m immensely proud of our firefighters, Fire Control staff and officers, who responded with incredible professionalism, courage and compassion in very difficult circumstances.
“I also want to thank our blue light colleagues and all of the Bedfordshire Local Resilience Forum and BLEVEC volunteers who came together in a highly effective multi-agency response.
“Whilst our resources have left the scene, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service will continue to support the multi-agency response in any way we can.”
Injuries updated
The East of England Ambulance Service confirmed that 11 people suffered very serious injuries, a further 32 suffered serious injuries and 56 sustained minor injuries.
In total, 64 patients were transported to hospital.
Paul Gates, strategic commander for the ambulance service, said those with less serious injuries were treated at the scene or taken to hospital if required.
The service had previously confirmed that more than 20 ambulances, specialist Hazardous Area Response Teams and six air ambulances were deployed after the collision.
Passenger accounts
Passengers described scenes of confusion and distress following the impact.
Peter Knapp, who was travelling on one of the trains, told the BBC it felt like “a bomb explosion” and he described seeing bloodied faces, apparent leg injuries and smoke inside the train.
Other passengers reported people being thrown from their seats by what several described as a sudden and violent impact.
Some passengers from trains stranded nearby spent hours waiting before eventually being escorted away from the railway along the tracks to board busses back to Ashburnham Road and beyond.
Charly Codrington told the Bedford Independent the situation had been “chaos”.
Further passenger accounts are harrowing. People have spoken about confusion, injury, smoke and not immediately understanding what had happened.
Investigation begins
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has inspectors on site gathering evidence.
British Transport Police, Network Rail and rail industry investigators are also involved in the investigation.
No cause has yet been confirmed.
Investigators are expected to examine train data, signalling systems, infrastructure, operating procedures and witness accounts as part of their work.
There has understandably been considerable discussion locally and nationally about how such a collision could happen on a modern railway with multiple safety systems in place.
However, officials have repeatedly stressed that the circumstances surrounding the collision remain under investigation and that conclusions should not be drawn until the evidence has been examined.
Complex recovery
East Midlands Railway managing director Will Rogers described the incident as “a profoundly sad day for the railway community”.
He said: “We are deeply saddened that our driver has tragically died, and a number of other people are suffering.”
He said the company’s priority remained supporting passengers, staff and the families affected.
Network Rail’s Eastern region managing director Ellie Burrows said recovery of the railway would take time.
“This will be a complex recovery operation,” she said.
“[But] we have significant resources on the ground and teams from across the rail industry working hand in hand.”
Passengers have been advised that no trains will run between Bedford and London St Pancras this weekend while recovery and investigation work continues.
Community impact
For many people across Bedford and Bedfordshire, the collision has felt especially close to home.
The Midland Main Line is woven into everyday life across the area, carrying commuters, students, families and workers between Bedford and London every day.
The collision happened close to communities familiar to thousands of local people and has already touched workplaces, schools, emergency services, hospitals and families across the county.
What unfolded on Friday evening was not only a major transport incident but also a major human tragedy.
Comments on our stories and others show that the effects of this tragedy are likely to be felt across Bedford Borough and Bedfordshire for some time.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said his thoughts were with the family of the person who died and those seriously injured.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was “deeply saddened” by the fatality and confirmed that a “thorough investigation” into the collision would take place.
