Huntingdon prepare stabbings suspect Anthony Williams charged after knife rampage
Anthony Williams, 32, from Peterborough, has been charged with 11 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article following a knife attack on a train in Cambridgeshire
A man has been charged after a horror stabbing spree on a London train. Anthony Williams, 32, from Peterborough, has been charged with 11 counts of attempted murder, one count of actual bodily harm and two counts of possession of bladed article following a knife attack on a train in Cambridgeshire.
Horror-fuelled eyewitness accounts have emerged since the Huntingdon train stabbings – as the ‘brave’ and ‘heroic’ LNER staff member remains fighting for their life.
On November 1, over 30 police officers – including an armed response unit – raced to Huntingdon train station after passengers aboard a train bound for London hastily alerted emergency services about the stabbing spree unfolding around them.
After passengers frantically liaised with train driver Andrew Johnson, who has been hailed a ‘hero’, he diverted the service where emergency services were able to arrest two men once the train reached the platform.
BTP declared a major incident when the train came to a stop in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, after passengers pulled the emergency alarms and two men were arrested eight minutes after police were called at 7.42pm.
It was later confirmed a 32-year-old black British national from Peterborough is being treated as the only suspect, with a 35-year-old man from London having been released.
The fast-thinking of passengers, staff and emergency services ‘saved lives’ – but actions of heroism have not been without horror. Dayna Arnold, 48, told the Mirror: “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.’.”
Olly Foster, who witnessed the incident, told the BBC an older man “blocked” the attacker from stabbing a younger girl, leaving him with injuries to his head and neck.
He said other passengers used their clothing to try to stem the bleeding. Thomas McLachlan, 19, from London, told BBC News he saw people leaving the train “drenched in blood”.
Tracy Easton, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS Direct, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has decided to prosecute Anthony Williams with 11 counts of attempted murder, one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of possession of a bladed article – following a police investigation into an incident on a LNER train from Doncaster to London on Saturday November 1 2025.
“Our team of out-of-hours prosecutors worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial and it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.
“We worked closely with British Transport Police to review a huge volume of evidence including CCTV. The number of charges will be kept under review as this continues to progress.
“We know the devastating impact the events on Saturday’s train has had and how the incident shocked the entire country. Our thoughts remain with all those affected.”
Williams will appear at Peterborough Magistrates Court today (November 3).
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to make a statement about the attack in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon.
Huntingdon station remains closed and police have thanked the public for their patience.
LNER, which operates East Coast Main Line services in the UK, said it expects normal service to resume on Monday, with passengers advised to check their journey online for the latest information.
Anyone with information they believe could help police is asked to contact BTP by texting 61016 quoting reference 663 of 01/11/25.
