King Charles offered his deepest sympathies and sorrow over the tragic collision of two passenger trains outside of Bedford on Friday, in which a driver was killed and dozens of people were hurt.
The train crash occurred shortly after 5:00 PM on the evening of June 19, 2026, involving two East Midlands Railway trains headed south to London’s St. Pancras.
A royal spokesman for King Charles III made the statement following news of the tragedy near Bedford.
“His Majesty’s thoughts and sympathies are with the family of the deceased and with all those injured or affected by such a tragic incident,” a spokesperson for the Buckingham Palace said in a statement Friday night. “The King has been kept regularly updated on the rescue and recovery efforts.”
What We Know About the Train Collision Near Bedford
Officials told the public that the trains crashed near Elstow, about 1.4 miles (2.3 kilometers) south of Bedford on the Midland Main Line. The British Transport Police and emergency services confirmed that a train bound for London that stopped on the tracks with a mechanical issue was hit by another train. According to the authorities, a Nottingham-to-London St.
Pancras train stopped on the tracks due to the technical failure before the Corby-to-London St. Pancras train crashed into it from behind. More than 80 people injured and the driver of the following train killed
One, or more likely two, person were declared dead by the time paramedics arrive; officials said that it’s the driving force from one of trains. It’s not immediately clear how many people were hurt, with initial estimates from authorities indicating dozens were injured including 11 “very serious.” More people suffered minor injuries. About 56 others were examined or treated for minor injuries by emergency responders.
Six air ambulance teams and 20 road ambulances responded along with the Bedfordshire fire services. A huge emergency operation was still ongoing Friday night and into Saturday morning with officials working on rescue, recovery and the investigation of the collision.
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“There were a lot of screams… people seemed to go from their seats,” said Pete Knapp, a traveler who had boarded one of the trains before the fatal crash, adding it happened “all very suddenly, the moment it happened it was an explosion and people were just being… flung everywhere.”