Train Driver Details Moments Before Mass Stabbing Incident on LNER Service

According to BBC UK, Andrew Johnson was operating the London-bound LNER service on November 1 of last year when the train halted at Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire. During his testimony at Cambridge Crown Court, Johnson stated that he heard someone on the intercom shouting, "there's a knifeman stabbing people."

Anthony Williams, who is 33 and resides in Peterborough, is denying the 10 counts of attempted murder on the train. He also faces charges for four other attempted murders connected to prior events in London and Peterborough.

Johnson informed the jury that the train was operating "bang on time" while traveling at around 122mph (196km/h) in the Abbots Ripton area of Cambridgeshire. He mentioned an unusual alarm indicating someone was attempting to open a passenger door, and explained that he had five seconds to override the system or the train would stop immediately. He noted that if the train stopped, it would take approximately 30 seconds to cover a mile.

Johnson initially picked up the intercom regarding the door but received no response, leading him to believe someone was causing trouble on a Saturday night. While speaking with the train manager to request an investigation, he heard the individual screaming about the knifeman stabbing people. He felt the best course of action was to reach a platform, as the voice of the person "really drove that home."

He stated he had "probably about 10 seconds" to switch to the slow line, adding that the decision felt instinctive. Johnson then pressed the urgent button and instructed a signaller to bring him to Huntingdon and call the police.

Jurors heard that Johnson could hear banging and screaming from the cab door, describing the noise as incredibly loud and noting that people were pleading with him to open the door. Johnson explained that he needed to remain in his seat, as his focus was entirely on getting the train to Huntingdon. When the train arrived in Huntingdon at 19:44 GMT, the court heard that he had to override the system to open the doors because it was not a programmed stop for them, which took about 15 seconds.

He observed passengers on the platform who were running, describing them as sprinting in a manner he had never witnessed before. The court heard that Johnson never had visual contact with Williams throughout the incident. Prosecutors allege that in addition to attempting to murder the 10 people on the train, Williams tried to kill three people in Peterborough on October 31, and he is also charged with attempting to murder a teenager on a DLR train in east London in the early hours of November 1. The court has been informed that whether Williams committed the attacks is not in question, but the jury must determine if he intended to kill. The trial is ongoing.