A “blood-stained” individual attempted to get into the cab of an empty Heathrow Express train in London.
The man tried to board the empty train at Southall East Junction at around 11.47pm on Saturday.
The driver was reportedly left running for his life from the carriage.
He then raised the alarm with the Great Western Railway’s (GWR) control team
Officers from the British Transport Police attended the scene and detained the man under the Mental Health Act.
The out-of-service Class 387 train, running from London Paddington to Reading, was held at a red signal near Southall East Junction at around 11.47pm on Saturday.
A GWR spokesman told Rail Magazine: “We are investigating after a person gained access to an out-of-service Class 387 train over the weekend.
“No customers were on board at the time, and while clearly an unsettling incident, it was quickly brought under control.”
The incident took place on an empty Heathrow Express train (file pic)
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They continued: “The driver on board raised the alarm immediately with our Control team, and the man was detained by police shortly afterwards.”
A spokesman for British Transport Police said: “Officers were called to the line near to Southall railway station, just before midnight on Saturday 8 November, following reports of a trespasser on the tracks acting erratically and threatening a member of railway staff.
“Officers attended and a man was detained under the Mental Health Act and remains in hospital.”
There were no injuries on board or delays to the Heathrow Express service.
The driver was left ‘running for his life’
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Officers are on alert across the country after the terrifying mass stabbing on the train in Huntingdon. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it has launched an inquiry after a complaint was made about the way the force dealt with an incident in Peterborough in September.
Ricky Butcher was outside Fletton Club in the city waiting for a taxi with a group of people on September 27 when he was attacked and left with facial injuries.
He told the BBC he needed stitches for a cut to his mouth and his face is “numb, and probably always will be, due to the cut”.
Mr Butcher said he was “fuming” that Cambridgeshire Constabulary dropped their investigation two days later and “could have taken it more seriously, I had five witnesses with me”.
Cambridgeshire Constabulary referred itself to the IOPC on Monday after a complaint was made over its handling of the incident.
It is already carrying out its own internal review into prior contact with the man accused of the train stabbing, and an earlier knife attack in east London. The force is investigating whether the September incident is connected to the stabbing on the train.
IOPC director Emily Barry said: “Since the serious incidents on the London-bound train from Peterborough on Saturday November 1, we have been working closely with Cambridgeshire Constabulary to ensure that any complaints or conduct matters identified in its review are referred to us.
“As a result of this complaint we will be investigating the force’s handling of this incident in September.”
Anthony Williams, 32, was remanded into custody at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court charged with ten counts of attempted murder over the train incident.
He is next due to appear at Cambridge Crown Court on December 1.
