Summary

  • One person has died and several others have been injured after two trains collided in Bedford, according to British Transport Police

  • A major incident has been declared, with firefighters, police and ambulance crews at the scene

  • The trains involved were the 16:40 from Corby to London St Pancras and the 15:50 from Nottingham to London St Pancras

  • Passenger Peter Knapp tells BBC News he was in the front carriage of one of the trains: "I felt like I'd been in a bomb explosion"

  • "It was like a big bang, then people flew from their seats," says passenger Shola Mene

  • East Midlands Railway says all its services to and from London St Pancras have been suspended for the rest of the day

  • Rail operator Thameslink says all lines are blocked between Luton and Bedford and is urging people not to travel

Live Reporting

Edited by Tinshui Yeung and Jack Grey

  1. Starmer offers condolences and calls incident 'hugely concerning'

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer looks on as he awaits Switzerland's Federal President Guy Parmelin on the sidelines of the G7 summit on June 16, 2026Getty Images

    UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says his thoughts are with the family of the person who has died in a two-train collision in Bedfordshire.

    "Hugely concerning reports of a collision involving two passenger trains near Bedford," Starmer writes on X.

    "First and foremost, my thoughts are with the family of the person who has sadly lost their life, and with those who have been seriously injured.

    "I am grateful to the emergency services for their swift response to this tragic incident."

  2. Footage shows scene on board train after fatal crash

    Warning: this video contains distressing material.

    Footage filmed by a passenger on board one of the two trains involved in a fatal crash in Bedfordshire shows the scene inside a carriage just after the incident.

    Peter Knapp, who took the video, earlier told the BBC the collision "felt like I'd been in a bomb explosion".

  3. Full statement from British Transport Police

    Here is the full statement from British Transport Police:

    "Officers are continuing to respond to a collision between two trains on the line in Bedford, following reports around 5.15pm today (19 June).

    "We know that a number of people have been injured and one person has very sadly died.

    "A major incident has been declared, and officers are continuing to respond at the scene alongside colleagues from Bedfordshire Police and the local Fire and Rescue and Ambulance Services.

    "The collision involved two East Midlands Railway trains.

    "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 on scene with colleagues from the local authority to assist any members of the public concerned about loved ones.'"

  4. One person dies in the collision
    Breaking

    One person has died in the collision, the British Transport Police has said.

    We’ll bring you more from British Transport Police soon.

  5. East Midlands Railway confirms trains involved in collision
    Breaking

    The two trains involved in a collision in the Bedford area were the 16:40 from Corby to London St Pancras and the 15:50 from Nottingham to London St Pancras, East Midlands Railway has confirmed.

    East Midlands Railway says its staff are currently at the scene, working with Network Rail and emergency crews.

    It says it will provide further updates "as more information is established".

  6. Hospitals ask public to avoid A&E to make way for crash victims

    The outside of the A&E department at Bedford Hospital, with one ambulance parked outside.Bedford Hospital

    A&E at Bedford Hospital

    The two main hospitals in the area have posted on social media to say their medics are helping passengers injured in the train crash.

    Bedford Hospital and the Luton & Dunstable University Hospital have asked the public to avoid attending their emergency departments "unless they have a genuine emergency".

  7. Photos show aftermath of train crash

    Photos taken at the scene show the aftermath of the collision.

    The vehicles are still on the railway line and there are uniformed officers working in the area.

    The line is expected to remain closed for the rest of the evening.

    People are evacuated from two trains that have collided on a railway line. The emergency services help remove people from the trains.Alex Knight
    A train collision on a railway line during sunset. There are some uniformed workers and officers working near the trains.Steve Hubbard/BBC
    Image showing damage to train during crash in BedfordAlex Knight

  8. Replacement buses arriving at the scene

    Holly Nichols
    in Bedford

    People wait in a queue to get on to several buses parked on a road.Holly Nichols/BBC

    Evacuation buses for those passengers caught up in the collision have started to arrive at the scene near Bedford.

    Passengers can be seen queuing to get on board those buses at the B530 Ampthill Road, at Kempston Hardwick.

  9. 'I saw people on the floor with blood everywhere'

    Alex Pope
    in Bedfordshire

    A woman with blonde hair looks at the camera. She is not smiling. She is wearing a black tank top and is standing in front of a green bush.Alex Pope/BBC

    Teresa Itabor, from Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, was on the 16:57 at Wellingborough heading to the capital to celebrate her birthday.

    She says she had her eyes closed and headphones in when the collision happened.

    "We left Bedford station and there was a massive bang... I didn't know what was going on; my head hit the seat in front of me," she explains.

    "I opened my eyes and that's when I saw people on the floor with blood everywhere."

    She adds that the carriage doors had jammed and would not open.

    "We really didn't know what was happening for a long time."

  10. Where did the collision take place?

    Satellite map of Bedford and surrounding countryside in England. The town centre is labelled “Bedford” near a winding river running across the upper half of the image. A red box and pointer mark the “approximate site of train crash” to the south of the town, near to an industrial site. An inset map of the UK highlights the location in Bedfordshire with a red dot.

    The two passenger trains collided south of Bedford. This map shows the approximate location of the incident.

    The collision happened just south of the Elstow road interchange for the A421 and the A6, close to where Universal is planning to build a massive theme park.

    An East Midlands Railway spokesperson said earlier that the trains involved were both heading south to London St Pancras - the 16:40 service from Corby and the 15:50 service from Nottingham.

  11. Transport disruption following the incident

    Thameslink says all lines are blocked between Luton and Bedford and have been since about 17:30.

    "If you have not begun your journey, do not travel," the train company has posted, on X.

    East Midlands Railway (EMR) says its services are also affected, with services to and from London St Pancras suspended for the remainder of the day.

    "If you are currently travelling you should use alternative routes," EMR says.

    Both Thameslink and EMR outline alternative routes at no extra cost on their website, alongside details on who's eligible for a refund.

    A whiteboard with passenger info in black, headlined "MAJOR DISRUPTION" in red.Katy Lewis/BBC

    A passenger information board at St Albans railway station in Hertfordshire, south of Luton

  12. Don't travel to scene, police tell friends and relatives

    Bedfordshire Police have asked people not to travel to the scene.

    "We understand that people are concerned about relatives or friends who may have been travelling on the trains involved," they say in a statement on X, but ask people to wait for further updates from emergency services.

  13. Minister being kept updated following train collision

    Health Secretary James Murray says he is being "kept updated" following the train collision on the line between Luton and Bedford.

    "A number of people have been injured and I thank first responders who are helping those affected," he added in a post on X.

    The collision happened just south of Elstow, near the road interchange of the A421 and A6.

  14. Video shows scene of crash

    One passenger, Dr Peter Knapp, describes the collision.

    "Some people are spitting out blood," he says.

  15. 'A big bang' and 'facial injuries'

    Holly Nichols
    in Bedford

    A woman sits on the ground outside, in front of a silver car. She has black hair and is wearing a black top.Holly Nichols/BBC

    Shola Mene was on one of the trains this evening.

    "It was like a big bang," she says of the collision.

    "Then people flew from their seats, the seats were pulling, and then someone just flew across and hit my husband in the face.

    "There was a lot of blood. A lot of people had facial injuries."

    She added that she did not think the train was going fast, but there was a lot of confusion as to what had happened.

  16. Two East Midlands trains collided

    A close up shot of the purple EMR trains which have crashed into one another.Alex Knight

    An East Midlands Railway spokesperson said: "The 16:40 EMR train from Corby to London St Pancras has been involved in a collision with 15:50 Nottingham [to] London St Pancras, at Bedford South.

    "We are currently on the scene and working with Network Rail to assist the emergency services.

    "Further updates will be provided as soon as more information is established."

  17. Investigators at the scene of the collision gathering evidence

    Katy Austin
    Transport correspondent

    The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has said on X: "A team of RAIB inspectors is on site at the scene of a collision between two trains near Elstow, to start gathering evidence."

    It’s the RAIB’s job to investigate exactly what happened, and come up with recommendations to prevent the same thing happening again.

  18. Aslef general secretary 'deeply concerned' over collision

    Dave Calfe, general secretary of the train drivers' union Aslef, echoed the thoughts of his RMT counterparts.

    "We are deeply concerned by reports of a collision between two trains near Bedford," he said.

    "Our thoughts at this moment are with all the staff and passengers on board. Thank you to the emergency services for their ongoing work responding to this incident."

  19. Local MP says collision is a 'very serious incident'

    Mohammad Yasin standing on a grassy bank next to a lake. There are reeds at the edge of the lake. He is wearing a blue jacket, lilac shirt and mauve tie.Sam Read/BBC

    Mohammad Yasin, pictured in 2025

    Mohammad Yasin, the MP for Bedford, which is close to where the collision took place, has just spoken to BBC News about the incident, saying it is "really, really concerning".

    He says there has been a "derailment" and two trains were involved, with emergency services now at the scene.

    Yasin adds the incident only took place a short while ago and there is still a lot he doesn't know, but it is a "very serious incident" and there are a number of casualties.

    We are waiting for more details before we can make further comment, he adds.

    Yasin says the incident took place in an area called Elstow, which is a few miles south of Bedford, while the nearest hospital is "about two miles away".

    He is in contact with the police and will share any further information when it comes out, the MP adds.

  20. 'Serious injuries' onboard, RMT union says

    A National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers spokesperson said: "We are deeply concerned by reports of a train collision between Bedford and Luton and the serious injuries sustained by on-board train staff and passengers.

    "The thoughts of the whole union are with those affected and we continue to monitor the situation."