The executive director of the Railway Mission has insisted that train travel in the UK is safe, after a man has appeared in court charged with ten counts of attempted murder on an LNER train.
Witnesses at Huntingdon station in Cambridgeshire reported graphic scenes, of passengers emerging covered in blood from the service travelling from Doncaster to Kings’ Cross.
Anthony Williams, aged 32, has also been charged with an eleventh count of attempted murder, after trying to attack a member of station staff earlier in the day, on Saturday 1st November. He was not previously known to police.
The Railway Mission is a Christian charity which supports mental health within the rail industry. Executive director Liam Johnston told Premier Christian News: “Our immediate reaction is one of shock and dismay that in an area that should be safe and secure, such a terrible incident could happen.”
“I can understand people being apprehensive about travelling on trains,” he said. “This is a major incident that has affected a lot of people psychologically… but the reality is that railways are still the safest form of land travel.
“This is an isolated incident. It’s an individual who has done something absolutely abhorrent and terrible, but it is isolated.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has ruled out the immediate introduction of airport-style security scanners, saying they are “not the way to go”.
“We have thousands of railway stations across the UK,” she said.” Those stations have multiple entrances and platforms – what we can’t do is make life impossible for everyone.”
She insisted the government will take “sensible and proportionate steps to make the transport network safe”.
Liam Johnston echoed her sentiment, saying that implementing scanners at every station entrance would be “expensive” and impractical.
He encouraged Christians to be supportive and approachable to fellow passengers, at a time of heightened national anxiety.
“From a Christian perspective, we can pray for our journeys,” Johnston said. “Offer a smile, a gentle word, engage with the people around you to reassure them that the world is okay."