Baby survives collision with train

A baby escaped serious injury when his pram rolled
onto the tracks as a train approached Ashburton station in Melbourne's
east this afternoon.


The train driver activated emergency brakes to slow the train as it approached the six-month-old baby about 4:00pm (AEDT).

The baby suffered minor injuries when the pram was pushed 40 metres along the tracks.
Connex spokesman John Rees says the incident comes a day after the company launched a child safety awareness campaign.

"The train driver will have been extremely shocked by this incident,
and when we know a small child is involved, then it's even worse than
some of the other things we've seen," Mr Rees said.

"[The driver] used his training well in this situation and he has applied the brakes as hard as possible.
"But of course the best situation is that it never happens, so if
everyone could take that advice - hold on to the prams, don't ever let
go."

Mr Rees says trains on the Ashburton line have returned to normal but there will still be delays.
"We hope that this means we'll be able to push the evening rush hour through without too many further disruptions," he said.


"Obviously, if you're going through to Alamein this evening you'll have a bit of a rough ride home."
Kidsafe is urging parents to make sure prams are fitted with restraints in the wake of the incident.
Spokesman Dr Mark Stokes says it is almost certain the restraint on the baby's pram saved the child's life.

"The child was strapped in. Had the child not been strapped in when
the train did connect with the pram, the child would have been
dislodged from the pram and possibly rolled over by the train," he said.