UK police say train knife attack not terrorist incident, two Brits arrested

British police said on Sunday that a knife attack on a train which put 11 people in hospital was not a terrorist incident, adding that two men — both British nationals — had been arrested.

Counterterrorism police had helped with the initial investigation after the mass stabbing of passengers on a London-bound train in eastern England on Saturday.

"At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that this is a terrorist incident," superintendent John Loveless from British Transport Police told media on Sunday.

The two men arrested on suspicion of attempted murder were a 32-year old male, a black British national, and a 35-year old British national of Caribbean descent, Loveless said. Both had been born in the UK, he added.

"It would not be appropriate to speculate on the cause of this incident," he said.

The arrests were made by armed police after the train made an emergency stop at Huntingdon around 130 km north of London.

Of the 11 people hospitalised, four have since been discharged and two patients remain in a life-threatening condition, police said.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it an "appalling incident" which was "deeply concerning", while King Charles said he was "truly appalled and shocked".

Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood said she was "deeply saddened" and urged people to avoid comment and speculation.

The government is keen to stop rumours spreading on social media following an incident in Southport in northwest England in 2024, when internet claims over the murder of three young girls sparked days of rioting across the country.

Witness Olly Foster told the BBC that he was on the train when someone ran past him saying a man was stabbing "everyone, everything".

"I put my hand on this chair...and then I look at my hand, and it's covered in blood. And then I look at the chair, and there's blood all over the chair. And then I look ahead and there's blood on all the chairs," he said.

Another witness told Sky News that a suspect was seen waving a large knife before being tasered by police.

Britain's current threat level from terrorism is rated as "substantial" by security services, meaning an attack is considered "likely".

After a number of serious attacks in 2017, Britain has had some quieter years in the 2020s, although last month three people were killed when a synagogue was attacked in Manchester.