There will be a review of rail security in the UK following a mass stabbing on a train, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has said.

A man has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder after the knife attack on a Doncaster to London service on Saturday night.

Alexander told the BBC the government would “review security arrangements” and respond “swiftly and in a proportionate way”.

But she did not think airport scanning technology “is the right solution for stations in the UK”.

Questions about passenger safety on the UK’s rail network have been raised after a a black British national, who boarded a train at Peterborough station, attacked passengers with a knife.

Eleven people were treated in hospital including a member of train staff who is said to be in a “critical but stable condition”.

Anthony Williams, 32, from Peterborough has been charged with 10 counts of attempted murder, one count of actual bodily harm and one count of possession of a bladed article, British Transport Police (BTP) said on Monday morning.

Alexander told BBC Breakfast that BTP officers would increase visible patrols at mainline stations over the coming days “because I do understand that people will want to feel reassured following what happened”.

“Thankfully incidents like this on the public transport network are very, very rare,” she added.

She said the rail network in the UK was a “low crime environment” and for every one million passenger journeys only 27 crimes were committed.

Asked what steps the government would take to improve security on trains, she said: “We are investing in improved CCTV in stations and the Home Office will soon be launching a consultation on more facial recognition technology which could be deployed in stations as well.”

Asked about luggage scanners similar to those used in some major train stations abroad she said: “At the moment that type of airport scanning technology I don’t think is the right solution for stations in the UK.”

Andy Trotter, former British Transport Police Chief Constable told BBC Breakfast Saturday’s attack illustrates “people’s real concerns about being trapped with an offender or with someone causing disorder”.

“I hope this results in a broader review of security, the need for more British Transport Police, the need for more security from the rail companies themselves.”

Senior Reform UK politician Zia Yusuf on Sunday said he would not like to see increased security at train stations.

He told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme it would impose “enormous friction” on the lives of law-abiding people “as a result of the actions of a tiny minority”.

He argued for a significant increase in the use of stop-and-search powers “to saturation”, saying this would remove deadly weapons from circulation.

Official figures released last month show knife crime has fallen in the past year, while NHS admissions for assaults with a sharp object are down 10% compared with 2024.

Overall violent crime showed “no statistically significant change” from 2024, but remains a third lower than it was a decade ago and 75% down on its peak in 1995, while homicides have reached their lowest point since at least 2003.