Major Incident Declared After Fatal Train Collision

One person has died and more than 80 people have been injured after a passenger train that called at Market Harborough was involved in a fatal collision with another train in Bedfordshire.

The trains involved were both operated by East Midlands Railway – the 3.50pm Nottingham to London St Pancras service, which stopped at Market Harborough shortly before 4.30pm, and the 4.40pm Corby to London St Pancras service.

It is understood the Nottingham train was stationary just south of Bedford station when it was struck by the Corby service at around 5.15pm today.

British Transport Police confirmed one person had died and declared a major incident.

The East of England Ambulance Service said 11 people suffered very serious injuries, a further 22 people were seriously injured, and 56 people sustained minor injuries.

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British Transport Police Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy said: “We’ve declared a major incident and a significant emergency service response is ongoing.

“We’re working at pace to establish exactly what’s happened and will provide further information as soon as we are able to.”

Officers from British Transport Police and Bedfordshire Police are at the scene alongside fire and ambulance crews, while local authority staff are assisting members of the public concerned about relatives and friends.

Cllr Simon Whelband, leader of Harborough District Council, said: “The images emerging from the crash on the Midland Main Line are truly awful, and my thoughts are with everyone involved.

I know this route, East Midlands Railway and the trains that operate it well. I travel on EMR several times a week and was using the line earlier today.

“Clearly, something has gone catastrophically wrong. Right now, the focus must be on the passengers, staff and emergency services at the scene. In due course, there will need to be a full and thorough investigation to establish exactly what happened and ensure any lessons are learned.”

As a result of the incident, all rail lines through the area have been closed. East Midlands Railway says trains are unable to run in or out of London St Pancras for the remainder of the day.

The operator has advised customers not to travel, while Network Rail is urging passengers to check before setting out on any journey.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was “deeply concerned” by reports of the collision and thanked emergency services responding to the incident.

Investigations into the cause of the collision are underway.