Train Collision in Central England Kills Driver, Leaves Nine in Critical Condition

A collision between two passenger trains in central England killed one driver and left nine people in critical condition, police said Saturday. British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi said more than 80 people were treated in hospitals after the crash late Friday afternoon, and 28 remained hospitalized a day later.

Police and accident investigators are working to determine why a commuter train bound for London’s St. Pancras Station struck the rear of another train headed for the same destination.

Photos and videos posted on social media showed dozens of people, some with bandages, standing and sitting among emergency vehicles parked on a road parallel to the tracks. Passengers described being thrown forward by the impact and seeing fellow travelers with broken bones and bleeding injuries.

One passenger told the BBC that only three to four people in a full carriage were uninjured, with others suffering serious wounds, inability to stand, or neck injuries.

Palace said King Charles III “is greatly saddened” by the crash. In recent years Britain’s railways have had one of the world’s best safety records. One passenger was killed in a collision between two trains in Wales in October 2024, Britain’s first fatal crash involving multiple trains for more than a quarter of a century.