A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a man was stabbed on a train in front of horrified passengers.
The British Transport Police were called to Beckenham Junction station just before 4pm on Wednesday following reports of a fight on board the train travelling from Shortlands railway station.
Footage posted online showed passengers screaming for the attacker to stop as he is seen to be swinging the large knife.
The chilling footage showed the attacker wielding a large machete-like knife and repeatedly thrusting towards the victim, who is out of shot, on a train seat, while nearby passengers desperately called for police and paramedics.
A man in his 20s is in a critical but stable condition following the attack and his family are being supported by specialist officers.
In the footage one audibly shaken passenger can be heard to say: “F*****g stop it now”, before adding to a 999 call handler: “There’s a man with a big knife … This man is stabbing someone on the train.”
Another can be heard asking: “Where’s the ambulance, where’s the ambulance?”
A manhunt was launched with forensics tests being carried out on the train carriage and images caught on the train’s CCTV analysed in minute detail. The British Transport Police said they had arrested a 19-year-old man and recovered a knife.
Superintendent Darren Malpas said: “We understand the concerns of the public following this incident and our detectives have been working tirelessly to investigate. I hope this arrest will bring some reassurance to those on the rail network.
“High-visibility patrols will continue in the area and across the network as a visible reassurance to the travelling public.”
Separately, two people remain in a critical condition in hospital after being stabbed in a “senseless” attack by a stranger at Kennington Tube Station on Wednesday night.
Officers and paramedics were alerted to reports an innocent man had been wounded on the northbound platform at 10.35pm.
Detective Inspector Paul Attwell said the second male “was injured after bravely stepping in to try to prevent the attack”.
BTP confirmed the two incidents on Wednesday are not linked.
Anyone with information can contact police by texting 61016, calling 0800 40 50 40 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.