A major rail incident north of London left one person dead and several others injured after two trains collided on Friday, prompting a large-scale emergency response and widespread disruption on the railway network.
British Transport Police confirmed it was responding to reports of a train "collision" north of the capital, with emergency services rushing to the scene alongside local police, fire and ambulance teams.
Major emergency response launched
In a late-night update, British Transport Police said, "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."
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The force added, "We know that a number of people have been injured and one person has very sadly died."
According to Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, the person who died was a train driver.
The East of England Ambulance Service later reported that 11 people suffered very serious injuries, 22 were seriously injured and 56 sustained minor injuries, per a report by Hindustan Times.
We're responding to reports of a collision involving two trains in the Bedford area.
— British Transport Police (@BTP) June 19, 2026
We'll share more information as soon as possible.
Collision near Bedford under investigation
Unverified footage shared on social media appeared to show two East Midlands Railway (EMR) trains involved in the collision, with one train reportedly running into another. Images circulating online showed damaged rail carriages and passengers standing on the tracks nearby.
The trains appeared to remain upright despite the impact.
EMR confirmed disruption on the route, posting, "Emergency services are dealing with an incident between London St Pancras and Leicester."
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Meanwhile, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said its "crews are currently in attendance at an incident on the railway just south of Bedford."
Rail services disrupted
The incident also affected services operated by Thameslink. The rail operator said "all lines are blocked between Luton and Bedford... due to a problem under investigation", reported HT.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was "deeply concerned" by reports of the collision.
Authorities have not yet released details about what caused the crash. Investigations are expected to focus on the circumstances leading up to the collision as emergency crews continue their work at the scene.
