Driver's Terrifying Ordeal in West London
A train driver faced a horrifying ordeal when a man, covered in blood, forced his way into the driver's cab in an attempt to hijack the train. This alarming incident occurred in West London, just one week after the unrelated Huntingdon train stabbings, and has raised serious concerns about railway staff safety.
The suspect allegedly grabbed the terrified driver's mobile phone, preventing him from escaping, and claimed that people were trying to kill him. After unsuccessful attempts to calm the attacker, the driver managed a desperate escape by jumping from the stationary, empty train to raise the alarm.
Chaos on the Tracks
The incident unfolded near Southall railway station when the Great Western Railway service, being driven from London's Paddington station to a depot in Reading, was halted at a red signal. This stop was due to reports of a trespasser on the track. The driver, checking the train's cameras as he moved through the carriages, spotted the man before he reached the cab.
Once inside, the man reportedly stayed on board, playing with the controls and sounding the horn in an apparent attempt to start the engine.
Police Response and Broader Context
British Transport Police were called to the scene just before midnight on Saturday, 8 November 2025. A spokesman confirmed that officers attended and a man was detained under the Mental Health Act. The individual remains in hospital.
This event took place a week after a separate and unrelated knife attack on an LNER service from Doncaster to London King's Cross on 1 November. In that case, Anthony Williams, 32, of no fixed abode, has been charged with several offences including 11 counts of attempted murder following mass stabbings on a train that stopped at Huntingdon railway station and another attack at a London station hours earlier.
