A baby whose stroller crashed into a train carriage was just three seconds away from colliding head-on with it, a report has revealed.
The miraculous escape was captured on CCTV footage at Banbury train station in June, when a pram carrying the three-month-old boy rolled onto the tracks and collided with the Cross Country train.
The impact sent the stroller spiraling down the platform before tipping over, and someone quickly pulled the child out to safety.
The young man suffered a “minor head injury”, but if the accident had occurred three seconds earlier, the stroller would have collided head-on with the train, according to a report from the Railway Accident Investigation Bureau (RAIB).
The RAIB added that it was “unable to determine” how the baby’s mother let go of the stroller, which at the time did not have the brakes applied.
This is the moment a stroller carrying a three-month-old baby came horribly close to crashing into a train. A report has since revealed that the boy was just three seconds away from colliding head-on with him.
CCTV footage captured the near-miss at Banbury train station in June when a pram with a three-month-old child inside rolled onto the tracks and collided with the Cross Country train.
The report indicated that the stroller had been “momentarily released by the baby’s parents” before rolling down the slope of the platform as the train entered the station.
He added: “Approximately 15 seconds before the accident, the baby’s parents began to move the stroller to the edge of the platform, with the intention of boarding the train.
‘The stroller moved perpendicular to the edge of the platform and, about 10 seconds before the accident, its front wheels were touching the yellow line while the father was holding the handle of the stroller with both hands.
“The baby’s father then stepped away from the stroller to place a hand on his wheeled luggage and turned toward his relative, momentarily letting go of the stroller.”
‘About 6 seconds before the accident, with the father still facing away from the stroller, it began to move towards the edge of the platform.
Crucially, the report stated that about three seconds before the parm collided with the carriage, “the front of the train passed the position where the stroller was located.”
This means that if the stroller had been in position three seconds earlier, it would have fallen onto the tracks in front of the train.
The images show the train approaching platform 2, where several passengers are waiting to board.
The blue stroller can be seen slowly rolling onto the tracks as the train approaches, prompting a woman to run out and try to grab it.
The front of the stroller hits the third car of the moving train, sending it flying down the platform sideways.
CCTV footage shows the train approaching platform 2 at the same time. A blue stroller can be seen slowly rolling onto the tracks as the train approaches, causing a woman to run out and try to grab it.
The front of the stroller hits the third car of the moving train, sending it flying down the platform sideways. He avoids falling onto the tracks, much to the relief of surprised onlookers.
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 relevant safety and operational rules. .
“This distressing incident is a reminder of the need for people to be vigilant and safe at all times when near the railway.”
The incident came just months after train bosses warned the public not to take risks near train lines.
