WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT. When looking into the face of death aboard the horror Huntingdon train, one woman made a brave four-word plea to the violent attacker, which ultimately saved her life
09:57, 03 Nov 2025
Horror unfolded on Saturday night when a knifeman launched a horrific eight-minute attack aboard a train that diverted to Huntingdon. Now one woman has shared how she escaped the aggressor's clutches as he loomed over her, brandishing a 6-inch kitchen knife.
Mere minutes after Dayna Arnold, 48, boarded the London-bound LNER Azuma with her partner Andy Gray, 37, the unthinkable happened. At the opposite end of Coach J, where the couple was seated, the unnamed suspect, who'd just boarded at Peterborough Station, began his bloody mass stabbing.
Speaking to the Mirror, site manager Andy recalled hearing "panic and commotion in people's voices", and witnessing the nightmarish sight of "the knife moving, plunging". The pair became separated in the ensuing chaos, and, as she fell to the floor, Dayna came face to face with the knifeman.
Project manager Dayna remembered: "I was running, and when I looked back, I saw the knifeman running after me. I fell down and I just said, 'Please don't kill me'. Something shifted in his face, and he just carried on. He said: 'The devil is not going to win.'"
She added, "We just feel very lucky today. If we had been sat at the other end of the carriage, we might not be here."
In the same interview, Andy recalled taking action to save one of the people who'd been stabbed. He shared: There was this young lad who was about 19 or 20. He had gashes on his arm and a severe puncture under his arm. There was a lot of blood coming out of him. He said, 'I've been stabbed, please help me'. It looked like an artery had been hit. I took off my belt and made a tourniquet. He was saying, 'Please call my dad, I don't want to die'."
After fleeing the station, Andy and Dayna were given a complimentary room at a local pub. They returned to Huntingdon station yesterday, before travelling down to Milton Keynes.
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The British Transport Police yesterday stated that the brave LNER staff member injured in the attack remains in hospital, following a "heroic" attempt to stop the attacker. Police confirmed: "Five casualties have now been discharged from hospital and one remains in a life-threatening condition. This casualty is a member of LNER rail staff who was on the train at the time and tried to stop the attacker.
"Detectives have reviewed the CCTV from the train, and it is clear his actions were nothing short of heroic and undoubtedly saved many people's lives."
Officers have clarified that there is nothing to suggest this was a terror incident, and have also confirmed a 32-year-old man who was arrested is now being treated as the sole suspect. The Peterborough man, who was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, remains in police custody.
Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy said: "Our investigation is moving at pace and we are confident we are not looking for anyone else in connection to the incident. As would be expected, specialist detectives are looking into the background of the suspect we have in custody and the events that led up to the attack."
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