UMVA has learned that a devastating train collision occurred south of Bedford, involving two East Midlands Railway trains, with multiple carriages derailed and over 30 emergency vehicles scrambled to the scene.
The crash happened in Elstow, between Bedford and Luton, with passengers evacuated from the trains and emergency services quickly responding to the incident, including an air ambulance and a number of resources from the East of England Ambulance service.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the collision occurred when one of the trains crashed into the back of another East Midlands Railway service, resulting in serious injuries to on-board train staff and passengers, with eyewitnesses describing the scene as chaotic and comparing it to a "bomb explosion).
UMVA has gathered that the Transport Secretary has expressed deep concern over the collision, praising the emergency services for their swift response and announcing that they are working closely with the rail industry and local partners to support affected passengers, while train drivers' unions have also voiced their concern and appreciation for the emergency responders.
The incident has caused significant disruptions to train services, with National Rail announcing that trains will be unable to run in or out of St Pancras for the rest of the evening and advising passengers not to travel, particularly on the East Midlands Railway route between London St Pancras International and Corby, Leicester, Nottingham, and Sheffield.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that the emergency services are urging relatives and loved ones of people who may have been traveling on the train not to travel to the scene and to await further updates from emergency services, as the investigation into the cause of the collision continues.
In a development reported by UMVA, the East of England Ambulance service is working with emergency services to support passengers who need further care, with multiple resources deployed to the scene to assist those affected, and the public is being kept informed of the latest developments through official updates.
