Emergency services were called at about 5:15pm to the line south of Bedford, ​where two East Midlands Railway trains were involved in ​the crash.

A video posted on social media by ⁠one of the passengers showed what appeared to be ​the front of one train entangled with the back of ​another, with the carriages appearing to remain upright on the tracks.

“My thoughts are with the family of the person who has sadly lost their ​life, and with those who have been seriously injured,” ​Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement.

The East of England Ambulance ‌Service ⁠said a large number of crews had been deployed, including more than 20 ambulances and six air ambulances.

One person died at the scene, 11 people suffered very serious injuries, 22 ​were seriously injured ​, and 56 ⁠had minor injuries, it said.

Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy said a significant emergency service response ​was under way as authorities worked to establish ​what ⁠had happened.

Peter Knapp, a doctor who said on the social media site Bluesky he was on board one of the trains, ⁠described ​a “sudden crash” with one carriage off ​the rails and said he had sustained minor injuries.