THE knife attacks on the 18.25 LNER train from Doncaster to King’s Cross on Saturday have horrified all right-thinking people. Reports of passengers hiding in toilets and the buffet carriage, as a man wielding a blade went on a murderous rampage, have raised questions about the safety of rail travel. More hearteningly, though, they have revealed people’s capacity for courage and self-sacrifice in the most frightening of circumstances. Samir Zitouni, a member of LNER rail staff, received life-threatening injuries after intervening to prevent the attacker from harming others. His actions have, rightly, been described by the British Transport Police as “nothing short of heroic and undoubtedly saved many people’s lives”. At the time of going to press, he remained in a critical condition.

The calm and quick thinking of the train driver, Andrew Johnson, has also been praised. “Andrew called upon his near-20-year driving experience to request an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon station, allowing police to access the train and apprehend a violent suspect,” LNER said. Such calmness and presence of mind is a testament to the hundreds of hours of training which drivers receive; but it is also noteworthy that Mr Johnson had previously served for 17 years in the Royal Navy, and had been deployed to Iraq. “Andrew’s actions are testament to the expertise and skills he has built over his career, both on the railway and in the military,” the Managing Director of LNER, David Horne, said.

The virtues of courage and self-sacrifice are not confined to those who have served in the military, as is shown by the actions of Mr Zitouni, as well as Stephen Crean, a passenger who confronted the assailant with his bare fists. But the actions of Mr Johnson (who has described his colleagues on board as “the real heroes”) show that the skills and character built up during military service are deeply embedded and of lasting benefit to society. So are the bravery and expertise of the police and paramedics who ran towards danger to apprehend the suspect and to treat the wounded. Front-line work of this kind is traumatic, and the toll that it takes on mental health can be significant; so the pastoral care provided by chaplains in these sectors is vital and should be supported with proper funding.

On Remembrance Sunday, many churches are filled with people who wish to give thanks to God for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to preserve freedom. It is right to remember with gratitude those who have served, and to support organisations, such as the Royal British Legion, that help veterans. The shocking events last Saturday should also prompt us to honour those who act heroically and with Christ-like selflessness when evil strikes unexpectedly, during the course of an ordinary day.