Around 50 people are reported to have been injured after two high-speed trains collided near Bedford in England during the evening rush hour. Emergency services declared a major incident and sent multiple air ambulances to the scene. The crash has been described as potentially one of Britain's worst ever train disasters.
According to the coverage, the collision happened near Elstow Interchange, about two miles south of Bedford Town Centre, at around 5.15pm. It appeared to involve two East Midlands train services that ran into one another. The location placed the crash on a busy stretch of line into London.
The trains were identified as the 4.40pm East Midlands Railway service from Corby to London St Pancras and the 3.50pm Nottingham to London St Pancras service. Both had been running toward the capital. East Midlands Railway services to and from London were suspended.
The East of England Ambulance Service said it had sent a number of resources to what it described as a major incident on the railway. That included multiple air ambulances and a hazardous area response team. One air ambulance was reported to have landed in a nearby field to assist with the medical response.
Footage from the scene showed injured passengers on the trains, and the coverage carried warnings that the images were distressing. Relatives and friends of those injured were asked not to travel to the scene. Bedfordshire Police issued a statement as the response continued.
Two hospitals in the area asked the public to stay away from their emergency departments to make way for crash victims. Those were Bedford Hospital and the Luton and Dunstable University Hospital. The appeals underscored the scale of the casualties being brought in.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was deeply concerned by the reports of the collision. Health Secretary James Murray said he was being kept updated and confirmed that a number of people had been injured. Officials urged people to avoid the area as crews worked at the scene.