Joe Coughlan
Live reporter

One driver has been killed and 100 people injured following a train collision in Bedford on Friday.

Nine of those injured are in critical condition, and a total of 28 remain in hospital. emergency services said.

Passengers who were on board the trains have been telling us about the moment of the crash. One says it was "one of the most terrifying moments" of their life.

A "complex recovery operation" is planned for the crash site, regional managing director for Network Rail East Ellie Burrows said, with "significant railway resources" deployed on the ground.

Lines between Bedford and St Pancras remain closed this weekend, British Transport Police said.

As for what comes next, British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D'Orsi says specialist investigators from the British Transport Police are working with colleagues at the Rail Accident Investigations Branch (RAIB) to determine what happened.

We are pausing our live coverage for now, but you can read more on this incident in our news story.

Simon Browning
Transport reporter

Image source, PA Media

The two main messages to come the authorities today have been sympathies the killed driver and a call for investigators to be allowed to do their job.

Those who work in the rail industry always say it is a family, whether working for train operating companies or on the tracks and engineering.

So the emergency services and rail spokespeople made their condolences known for the family of the driver killed, their family and to those injured by the crash.

Allowing investigators to do their job was the other overriding message.

British Transport Police acknowledged there will be a lot of questions from what happened and that specialist investigators are working to gather the facts - and advised people to refrain from speculation as to what happened.

East Midlands Railway, both of whose trains were involved, said it was fully supporting the investigation.

In the areas surrounding the train crash - many of those on the routes taken by the services - MPs have been reacting.

• Independent MP for Leicester South Shockat Adam and Labour MP for Kettering Rosie Wrighting both offer support to affected constituents. Adam says there were "likely passengers from Leicester on board" the Nottingham service, while Wrighting says "both trains stopped at Kettering before the collision"
• Also posting on X last night, Labour MP for Nottingham East Nadia Whittome said she was "shocked and saddened" to hear about the incident, adding: "I know many in our city will be extremely worried". One of the trains involved started its journey in Nottingham
• We also heard from the local MP for Bedford yesterday, which is close to where the collision took place. In a post on Facebook, Mohammad Yasin said he had visited both the hospital and the station, where he had seen "first-hand the remarkable response from staff and emergency responders"

The total number of people who were seriously injured in the fatal train collision on Friday has been raised to 32 in an update by the East of England Ambulance Service.

The number of people who suffered minor injuries has also increased to 57.

This brings the total number of people injured as a result of the incident to 100, including the 11 individuals who sustained very serious injuries.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), who is working with the British Transport Police (BTP) to establish the facts and determine what happened before the crash, says a further update will be provided "in the coming days".

In a statement on X, the branch says: "RAIB inspectors continue to gather evidence at the site of yesterday's collision between two trains near Elstow.

"RAIB will conduct a full, independent safety investigation into this tragic accident.

"We will provide a further update in the coming days once we know more."

Paul Brown
BBC Verify senior journalist

I've just been speaking to Peter Hicks, a Railway Systems Consultant who runs the website Open Train Times, which aggregates tracking data from Network Rail.

One key question that has not yet been answered is how the crash unfolded. Hicks has painted a picture of how, according to his tracking data, the incident unfolded.

He has analysed publicly available data, external in an attempt to piece together the events that led up to the crash.

Hicks says his data indicates the Corby service collided with the rear of Nottingham service shortly after 17:11 BST on Friday.

Reports suggest the Nottingham train was stationary at the time of the crash.

Here's what Hicks' analysis of the data suggests:

• The Corby service had been travelling on the fast line towards London, but switched to the slow line upon approach to Bedford - arriving at platform 1 at 17:07
• The Nottingham train, which did not stop at Bedford, passed via the fast line towards London at 17:09
• The Corby train left Bedford on the slow line as scheduled at 17:10 and switched to the fast line
• The Corby train switched to the fast line, and was therefore in motion directly behind the Nottingham train, which is believed to have been stationary
• The collision occurred some time after 17:11

There are, of course, systems in place to prevent such incidents - specifically a signal to the approaching train warning of the danger ahead.

It is now up to the British Transport Police and Rail Accident Investigations Branch to investigate what caused the incident.

Andrée Massiah
BBC News

Image source, Mareks Grabovskis

This post contains details some may find distressing

Mareks Grabovskis works as a construction site manager and boarded the 16:40 Corby train on Friday after working on a project in the area.

He tells BBC News: “I was about to board the first carriage, but there were too many people because the train only had four carriages, so at the last second I moved to the last carriage."

The passenger says he went flying when the collision happened, before he passed out and woke up on the floor to see people "covered in blood" and screaming.

"It was one of the most terrifying moments of my life, and I know how fortunate I am to be here today,' he says.

Mareks says the ticket inspector was a "hero", adding: "I could see he was in pain himself, but he was telling someone on the radio to close the lines, and checking if everyone else was OK."

Alex Pope
Reporting from Bedfordshire

A passenger on a train delayed by the crash in Bedford says he knew from "the sheer frequency of sirens and helicopters" that "something serious had happened".

Ryan Scrivener, who lives in Bromham, Bedfordshire, was on a Thameslink train from London to Bedford due to get in at about 17:30.

But, due to the fatal crash, passengers were made to leave the train near Wixams, a nearby town in Bedfordshire.

Scrivener was escorted off the train and passengers had to walk towards Wixams.

"The mood was quiet and reflective. It started to sink in how fortunate we were to not be directly caught up in the tragedy that unfolded just a couple trains ahead of us."

Image source, Ryan Scrivener

Image source, PA Media

Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he has spoken with the CEO of the East of England Ambulance Service Trust following the collision on Friday.

In a post on X, he says: "I expressed my gratitude to the air ambulance crews, the emergency services who responded under extremely difficult circumstances, as well as the NHS staff taking care of the injured."

The prime minister adds that his thoughts are with all those affected by the "devastating incident".

Joe Coughlan
Live reporter

Image source, British Transport Police

We've just had an update from emergency services, here's a quick look at what we learned:

The numbers

Overnight, 89 people were treated in hospital following the collision - 11 sustained very serious injuries, a further 22 had serious injuries and 56 others sustained minor injuries.

Of them, 28 remain in hospital and nine are in critical condition, British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D'Orsi said.

More than 70 firefighters and officers were involved at the scene at the height of response, Strategic Commander for the East of England Ambulance Service Paul Gates said.

The ambulance service also transferred 64 patients to hospital following the incident.

The driver

We learned the driver of the train who died in the collision is a man.

Speaking at the press conference near the scene, D’Orsi said: "His family have been informed and our deepest condolences are with them, his friends, and his colleagues at East Midlands Railway."

What's next?

• Specialist investigators from the British Transport Police are working with colleagues at the Rail Accident Investigations Branch (RAIB) to establish the facts and determine what happened, D'Orsi said
• She asked individuals to refrain from speculation
• Regional managing director for Network Rail East Ellie Burrows said a "complex recovery operation" is planned, with "significant railway resources" deployed on the ground

Regional managing director for Network Rail East Ellie Burrows says this is a "profoundly sad day" for everyone affected by this incident.

She says there will be a "complex recovery operation", and that they have "significant railway resources" deployed on the ground.

The focus is now on supporting those affected and working with the relevant authorities as they investigate what's happened during this incident.

For rail customers, she encourages them to continue checking Network Rail for the latest information and updates.

With that, the emergency services update comes to an end.

Will Rogers, the managing director of East Midlands Railway (EMR), says that the 16:40 service from Corby collided with the 15:50 service from Nottingham on Friday.

He says EMR is "deeply saddened" over the tragic death of its driver and its thoughts are with their family and everyone injured.

Rogers adds that EMR teams are on the scene with Network Rail and emergency services to ensure those that are affected receive the "care and support that they needed".

He also says it is fully supporting the Rail Accident Investigation Branch investigation, adding: "This is a profoundly sad day for the railway community."

Next up is Paul Gates, Strategic Commander for the East of England Ambulance Service, who says 11 people sustained very serious injuries, a further 32 had serious injuries, and there were a further 56 minor injuries.

"Those with less serious injuries were treated on scene or conveyed to hospital as required," he said. In total, the ambulance service transferred 64 patients to hospital during this incident.

Chief Officer Andy Hopkinson from Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service says this was a "deeply distressing incident". He says the ambulance service was called at 17:14 and at the height of the response, over 70 firefighters and officers were involved at the scene.

There was no fire, so crews undertook rescues and evacuations alongside other teams. He said he was "immensely proud" of this "substantial and co-ordinated emergency response".

There will be a lot of questions on what exactly happened on Friday evening, D’Orsi says.

Specialist investigators from the British Transport Police are working with colleagues at the Rail Accident Investigations Branch (RAIB) to establish the facts and determine what happened.

She asks for individuals to refrain from speculation and thanks all those who responded, calling them "outstanding", while also thanking local people who showed "immense kindness" to those who were stranded.

British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi is up first.

She sends her "deepest condolences" to family, friends and colleagues of the train driver who died.

She adds that over 80 people were treated in hospital last night.

Today, she says, 28 remain in hospital and nine are in a critical condition.

We'll shortly be hearing an update from the emergency services following the fatal train crash in Bedford on Friday - you'll be able to watch it live above.

The British Transport Police and East of England Ambulance Service are set to share statements, alongside East Midlands Railway, Network Rail Eastern and Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue.

We'll be monitoring the updates and will bring you the latest developments.

Nicky Schiller
Reporting from Bedfordshire

Image source, Nicky Schiller

I am now by the trackside and can see the front of train that was travelling from Nottingham to London St Pancras when the accident happened.

I can see workers in high viz jackets. Its hard to tell from this distance if they are investigators from the Rail Accident Investigation Board or Network Rail.

This part of the line remains closed whilst the emergency response continues. Network Rail officials say it is a complex task to assess the damage to the trains and infrastructure.

Tara Mewawalla
Live reporter

Details of the fatal train crash between two trains near Bedford on Friday are still emerging. It has not yet been confirmed by authorities how the crash unfolded.

By piecing together images, eyewitnesses and train-tracking sites, we've taken a look at the events leading up to the collision:

The trains

• A Class 360 train with four carriages and a Class 810 with five carriages collided
• East Midlands Railway says the electric Class 360 fleet operates between Corby and London St Pancras - which would suggest the 810 service travelled from Nottingham
• We've seen images showing the identification number on the side of each train. The service from Corby is 360 115, while the train from Nottingham is the 810 015 - as seen in the picture below:

Image source, Reuters

Arrival at Bedford South Junction - the last stop before the crash

• The Nottingham train arrived at Bedford South Junction at 17:10 BST, according to data from train tracking service Real Time Trains
• The Corby train arrived two minutes later, at 17:12, which suggests it was travelling behind

'We were hit from behind pretty bad' - what have passengers said?

• Paul Cavin got on the Nottingham train to London St Pancras at Leicester. He told us his train "stopped" and then "suddenly we were hit from behind pretty bad"
• Aleister Adamson, who was also on the Nottingham train, told us the Corby train hit "our rear most carriage creating a chain effect"
• According to passenger Brett Byatt, who was on the Corby train, the crash occurred less than five minutes after the train left the Bedford South Junction station