The child had been left at the bottom of some stairs in its buggy by a man travelling with the mother while they went to help other family members in an incident described as “frightening” and “near-fatal”.
A strong gust blew the buggy onto the tracks with a train moments away from arriving, and the child’s mother then runs across the platform, jumps down onto the tracks and was able to haul the baby and buggy to safety seconds before it pulled up to the platform.
Chief Inspector Mark Lawrie said: “This was a frightening incident, not just for the scale of the danger the child was exposed to, but also because the woman then put her own life on the line by going onto the tracks. We urgently need to identify the people involved to ensure the child wasn’t injured as a result of the fall onto the tracks.
“This incident shows just how much respect rail passengers should have for the network.
“It is, when used incorrectly, a hazardous environment and the proper care should always be taken, particularly on busy platforms and in areas which are affected by the gusts of wind which can blow through tunnels.”
Police said they wanted to contact the people involved to check they were not injured, and urged anyone who recognised them or has any information to get in touch or contact Crimestoppers anonymously.
The incident happened at Goodge Street London Underground station Wednesday, 23 July, shortly before 7.30pm.
Image via British Transport Police
