A baby had a miracle escape after its pram rolled forward on a railway platform and clipped the edge of a fast-moving train.
CCTV footage captured the distressing scenes at Banbury train station 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 down the platform before it toppled over, with someone swiftly plucking the young child out and to safety.
Paramedics attended and fortunately the infant was given the all clear.
Onlookers said the baby’s mother and grandmother were both distraught, after they had desperately attempted to stop the collision, having seen the pram roll over the station’s yellow line as the train arrived at the platform.
According to a railway industry source, train driver David Ward had attempted to stop the train but had overran the station.
He is believed to have gone through the station because he mistakenly thought the train had eight carriages rather than four.
MailOnline have approached Network Rail and CrossCountry Trains for a comment.
CCTV footage captured the distressing scenes at Banbury train station on Saturday (June 8) as a buggy with a three-month-old child inside rolled towards the tracks and hit the Cross Country train
Onlookers said the baby’s mother and grandmother were both distraught after the pram had rolled over the station’s yellow line and hit the side of the train
The front of the pram hits the moving train’s third carriage, sending it flying down the platform on its side
According to a railway industry source, train driver David Ward (pictured) had attempted to stop the train but had overran
The footage shows the train approaching Platform 2, where a number of passengers are stood waiting to board.
At the far end of the platform, a blue pram can be seen rolling slowly towards the tracks as the train is still moving, causing a woman to rush out and try and grab it.
The front of the pram hits the moving train’s third carriage, sending it flying down the platform on its side.
It avoids falling onto the tracks, much to the relief of the shocked onlookers.
The train was operated by CrossCountry, whose workers have been amongst those on strike for the TSSA union in recent months.
The franchise was recently handed renewed contracts by government, despite the fact that only half of its trains are on time, according to data from 2023.
And 6.8 percent of its services were cancelled between April and June last year.
The incident on the weekend came just months after train bosses warned the public not to take risks close to train lines.
It followed footage emerging of a reckless dogwalker who dodged death and forced a train to make an emergency stop after they wandered nonchalantly across a level crossing while the barriers were down.
Heart-stopping footage shows the man ignore the flashing red lights and barge through barriers at Blakedown station in Worcestershire
The man’s ‘reckless behaviour’ forced the train to make an emergency stop
Shocking video shows the man blithely walk through barriers at Blakedown station in Worcestershire, while ignoring flashing red lights.
He drags his dog over the level crossing while appearing to gesture angrily to drivers on either side of the barriers who desperately try to warn him.
After marching over the rail lines and pushing through the second lowered barrier, a train screeches to a halt just feet away.
Jamie Ainsworth, health, safety, security and environment director at West Midlands Railway, said: ‘I hope this video will remind the public to concentrate, wait behind barriers and follow instructions at level crossings to stay safe at all times.
‘Incidents like this can also have a big impact on train drivers and I urge the public to bear this in mind when using level crossings.’
Another incident in March saw an impatient van driver charge straight through a level crossing, dragging the heavy gates across the tracks.
Fortunately, the red-and-white barrier was hauled clear of the rail lines before the train hurtled passed.
Between April and October last year, there were 2,981 near misses involving people on level crossings – a hike of 31 per cent from 2022.
There were 11 accidental deaths on Britain’s railways in the year 2022/2023.