Her pram containing her six-month-old son had rolled out of her reach on Ashburton rail station platform – and on to the tracks where it was hit by a city-bound train.
Footage of Thursday’s spine-chilling incident was released earlier.
It shows that as the train approaches, the mum lets go for no more than two seconds to hitch up her trousers before getting on with her son.
But the three-wheel pram instantly rolls away and over the platform edge – to the shrieking disbelief of the mum and other commuters.
She desperately races to the platform edge and reaches over, now placing herself in mortal danger.
Seconds later the 250-tonne train smacks into the pram at 35km/h, missing her by centimetres – and rendering others on the platform numb with the shocking thought that they have surely just seen a baby die in front of its mum.
The distressed woman is dumbstruck for a few seconds – then races down the platform to the front of the train.
Miraculously, her son was unhurt after being dragged 30m down the track under the front carriage of the train.
He escaped with a bump on the head, and was discharged from the Royal Children’s Hospital soon after arrival.
Paramedics reported he only needed “a feed and a nap” after the incident.
Connex and the police yesterday praised the quick-thinking train driver.
Sgt Mick Ferwerda, of the transit safety division, said his actions were heroic.
“From my understanding, he’s applied every brake possible to safely resolve the incident,” Sgt Ferwerda said.
“Trains need a lot of time to stop. He’s applied the brakes as early as possible, he’s done a fantastic job.”
He added that there was no police investigation, saying: “There is no suggesting the mother of the baby did anything wrong.”
Connex spokeswoman Lanie Harris said the driver had been offered counselling as a result of being “fairly traumatised”.
“He is a hero, he was able to respond quickly in applying the brakes and avoided a deadly outcome,” she said.
Thursday’s 4pm drama came just a day after Connex had issued a new warning about prams on platforms.
Sgt Ferwerda said there were near misses daily across Melbourne’s train network.
He added: “The safety messages are simple. Stand clear of approaching trains, apply brakes on or keep a tight grip of any objects with wheels, and be aware of your surroundings.”
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Late last Year, a young mother was severely critisized by many thoughtless commenters, when her baby and buggy slipped down a slope of a railway station in Melbourne Australia,directly under the wheels of an oncoming train, the child was not severly injured, no action was taken to reslove the problems of the sloping platform either too date, the severe camber was responsable for the close encounter with death,No one was sacked, no action was taken to resolve the obviously dangerous situation, except putting the onus on the parents to hang on to the baby buggy, today another twin buggy ( a buggy for 2 kids) again slipped completely beneath an incoming train again the lucky occupant of the buggy miraculously survived, now the odds that this run away buggy event will happen again are great,and to get 3 tossed coins to land the same face up for all 3 tosses is unlikely, the odds are shortening!! Before there is a death the people of Melbourne must insist that when a train is coming in,a barrier rises way back fro the platform edge & all passengers and buggies must be behind that none roll barrier,until the train has stopped, or the platforms must be made level, as that is the primary cause of these horrible incidents, or the trains should be fitted with some kind of soft scoop that will capture anything that is on the track, I am no engineer but surely something must to be done,if it’s a question of money!! some pen pusher in transport management will be held responsable for the death of an innocent child, I think it’s a clear case of negligence for the safety of the passengers, the fact that this video is stating the obvious would incriminate any one who is in aposition to alter this situation,I personally would Sue their butts off and claim damages for the shock, and trauma of watching my baby being dragged along beneath a train, well it’s not normal is it? It should not be able to happen,not the once yet alone the twice, and the thrice is just a question of time even I can see that from where I am sitting In Spain, so whats wrong with the minister of transport in Aussie. I wonder if he is either blind, reckless, or ruthless……….or maybe someone is just incompetent, but that will be no defence, neither will be ignorance, as long as this video is testimony of what we have seen here..
A baby has miraculously survived after his pram rolled off a railway platform in front of a train.
Baby in pram hit by train, then goes home
Baby narrowly escapes death under a train in Melbourne
This clip is not at all Governor Palin related but its an amazing story. There sure is someone watching over us up there.