Shocking moment: Three-month-old’s pram rolls into train path past distraught mother and grandmother on station platform

By Chris Pollard, Frankie Elliott and Elizabeth Haigh

14:06 June 14, 2024, updated 18:59 June 14, 2024

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A baby has had a miraculous escape after her pram rolled onto a railway platform and hit the edge of a moving train.

CCTV footage captured distressing scenes at Banbury station in Oxfordshire on Saturday June 8 as a buggy with a three-month-old child inside rolled towards the tracks and hit the Cross Country train.

The impact sent the buggy spiraling across the platform before toppling over, and someone quickly pulled the young child out and brought him to safety.

Paramedics attended the scene and luckily the baby was given the all clear.

Onlookers said the baby’s mother and grandmother were both distraught, having desperately tried to stop the collision, after seeing the pram rolling onto the station’s yellow line as the train arrived on the platform .

Cross Country Trains told MailOnline there was no operational fault of the train driver during the incident.

MailOnline has also contacted Network Rail for comment.

Footage shows the train approaching platform 2, where a number of passengers are waiting to board.

At the end of the platform, a blue pram can be seen rolling slowly towards the tracks while the train is still moving, prompting a woman to rush up and try to catch it.

The front of the pram hits the third carriage of the moving train, sending it flying into the side of the platform.

He avoids falling onto the tracks, much to the relief of the shocked spectators.

A CrossCountry spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with the mother and baby involved in the incident in Banbury last week, and reviews with industry partners have shown that CrossCountry colleagues followed all the rules relevant operational and security requirements.

“This distressing incident is a reminder of the need for people to be vigilant and safe at all times near the railway line.”

The train was operated by CrossCountry, whose workers were among the Aslef union strikers in recent months.

The franchise recently secured renewed contracts from the government, despite only half of its trains being on time, according to 2023 data.

And 6.8 percent of its services were canceled between April and June last year.

The weekend incident came just months after train bosses warned the public not to take risks near train lines.

It followed footage showing a reckless dog walker avoided death and forced a train to make an emergency stop after casually walking through a level crossing while the barriers were down.

Shocking video shows the man gleefully bursting through barriers at Blakedown station in Worcestershire, while ignoring flashing red lights.

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He drags his dog across the crossing while pretending to make angry gestures towards drivers on either side of the barriers who are desperately trying to warn him.

After crossing the railway tracks and passing the second lowered barrier, a train stops a few meters away.

Jamie Ainsworth, Director of Health, Safety, Security and Environment at West Midlands Railway, said: “I hope this video will remind the public to concentrate, wait behind the barriers and follow instructions at level crossings to stay safe at all times.

“Incidents like this can also have a significant impact on train drivers and I would urge the public to take this into account when using level crossings.”

Another incident in March saw an impatient van driver charge straight at a level crossing, dragging the heavy barriers across the tracks.

Fortunately, the red and white barrier was removed from the tracks before the train passed.

Between April and October last year, there were 2,981 near misses involving people at level crossings, an increase of 31% compared to 2022.

There have been 11 accidental deaths on UK railways in the 2022/2023 year.