Only one suspect is being held on suspicion of attempted murder, after a horror mass stabbing on a train in Huntingdon last night, British Transport Police have said.
A 32-year-old man who was arrested in connection with the Huntingdon train knife attack is now being treated as the only suspect, British Transport Police (BTP) said.
The man, from Peterborough, boarded the train at Peterborough station. Another man, a 35-year-old from London, has been released with no further action, BTP said in a statement.
The force said police have established that he was not involved with the attack. Police also confirmed that a knife was recovered by officers at the scene.
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."
"A 35-year-old man from London who was also arrested at the scene has been released with no further action," the update reads.
"It was reported in good faith to officers responding to the incident that he was involved in the attack, and following enquiries we can confirm that he was not involved.
"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."
Train passengers locked themselves in toilets and cowered with makeshift weapons during the eight-minute knife rampage that left two people fighting for life.
Eleven people were hospitalised after the bloodbath onboard the high-speed London King's Cross-bound LNER service on Saturday night.
Terrified witnesses described how they scrambled over seats as blood-soaked victims fled the attacker. And one man revealed he armed himself with a Jack Daniels bottle in a bid to fend off the knifeman.
The horror unfolded in Coach J of the nine-carriage train just 10 minutes after the 6.25pm high-speed Doncaster service left Peterborough at 7.29pm. Cops said an emergency call was made at 7.42pm and the train was diverted to Huntingdon, Cambs, where 30 officers were scrambled.
British Transport Police confirmed at the time that two men were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder - a 32-year-old black British national and a 35-year-old British national of Caribbean descent.
BTP Supt John Loveless said there was "nothing to suggest" the attack was a "terrorist incident". He confirmed two people were fighting for their lives in hospital, with four others discharged.
Witnesses described the "pure panic" as the knifeman moved through the carriage warning people to run while slashing people - sending trapped passengers fleeing down the carriage.
Amid the horror of the bloodbath were stories of heroism as survivors revealed an older man risked his life to protect a young girl from being stabbed.
Alistair Day, 58, who was travelling back to Hertford after watching Nottingham Forest play Manchester United at the City Ground.
He missed his connection and boarded the Doncaster to King's Cross service but said he was beside the buffet car when he saw people running towards him.
"I thought it was like a prank - Halloween or students." he said. "Then they're getting louder and louder."
Alistair said he saw people had blood on them and realised "this is not good". He and others then tried to make their way into the buffet car - but people "were trying to close up the shutters".
Alistair says he stepped in and begged: "No, you've got to let us in." He then describes seeing "a man at the window with his knife" trying to get in, but by then the buffet car was already locked.
He also remembers a man in a Nottingham Forest tracksuit saying: "I'm gonna go confront him."
"He wasn't the biggest guy and we tried to stop him," Alistair says, adding that he later saw the same man "on the platform afterwards, flat-out, covered in blood".
Another man, Alistair said, told him he'd been stabbed in the chest. The man remained very calm, Alistair recalls, before he and other passengers in the buffet car put pressure on the man's wound. He said: "I just want to know he's OK."
Police said they first received a call at 7.42pm to reports of a "multiple stabbings" onboard the high-speed nine-carriage train before it made an emergency stop at Huntingdon, Cambs, at 7.44pm.
Digital creator Olly Foster said: "We ran from the back of the train to the end as everyone was screaming to run, explaining there was somebody stabbing everyone and everything.
"At first I thought it was a joke, but quickly I realised they were serious. Some people coming thought he had a gun, we really didn’t know what we were up against. As I ran I put my hand on a chair, when I looked at my hand it was covered in blood.
"There was blood on the top of countless chairs, coming from 2 of the guys who had been severely stabbed ahead of me.
"A young girl was distraught as the attacker tried to stab her, but a hero of an older man got in the way taking a gash on his forehead.
"And I think another on his neck. We all ran to end the of the train and pretty soon we realised it was a short train. Everyone was queued at the front and I was one of the people at the back of that queue.
"I was standing there with a few others trying to find any kind of weapon, one person I knew got ready with a Jack Daniel’s bottle. I had nothing. For what felt like 10 minutes, I watched that carriage doorway waiting to see a figure appear.
"I knew he had a knife from everyone’s wounds but from somebody’s previous comments there was a chance he had a gun. So I stood there praying. We all tried to keep calm but you could feel everyone’s adrenaline.
"The train eventually stopped. And I thank god I didn’t see anybody come through that doorway. Everyone ran out the train at Huntingdon, and as I ran out I looked to my right knowing that’s where the attacker would come.
"And that’s when I saw about 20 people running in pure panic. At least three of which were covered in blood. One guy was holding his stomach of which blood was pouring out, shouting, ‘help help, I’ve been stabbed'."
The incident was described as an “isolated attack” by Defence Secretary John Healey with a “major incident” declared.
Police also declared “Plato”, the national code word used by police and emergency services when responding to a “marauding terror attack”, before the declaration was later rescinded.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the incident as “deeply concerning”. And King Charles issued a statement to say he and the Queen were "appalled and shocked" by the incident.
He said: "My wife and I were truly appalled and shocked to hear of the dreadful knife attack that took place on board a train in Cambridgeshire.
"Our deepest sympathy and thoughts are with all those affected, and their loved ones. We are particularly grateful to the emergency services for their response to this awful incident."
Video emerged showing a man wearing all black having been wrestled to the ground on the platform at Huntingdon Station – with one cop heard shouting: “Get him in a f***ing hold!”
The taxi driver who took the video said before the man was arrested he was shouting, “Kill me, kill me, kill me” to the officers.
Footage also showed police cars and ambulances flooding the roads outside of the station, as officers raced along the platform before boarding the train.
Forensic teams and sniffer dogs swept the station, with emergency responders seen working on the tracks, while the scene was sealed off to the public.