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Aussie commuters warned after shocking footage shows toddler's near miss

Frantic bystanders rush to the mother's aid.

Aussie commuters are being warned to take extra care while travelling on trains with children as frightening footage captured a series of near misses at stations around Queensland.

Heartstopping CCTV footage released by Queensland Rail shows small children, including toddlers, falling in the gap between the train and the platform — a confronting reminder about the potential danger of boarding a train.

Toddler slips through gap on train at Brisbane station.
Frightening footage shows toddler falling in gap between train and platform at Alderley Station north of Brisbane. Source: Queensland Trains

In one scenario, a mother pushing a pram approaches the train doors at Alderley Station north of Brisbane with another child by her side. As they step off the edge of the platform, the toddler slips between the gap. The frantic mother attempts to retrieve the child with help from worried bystanders as they eventually pull the child out to safety.

The incident occurred in November 2022 and was one of 45 that same year, data from Queensland Rail shows. There were 122 incidents where people fell in the gap between the train and the platform from January 2020 and February 2023 across the state.

'Concerning' number of child-related incidents on platforms

Queensland Rail Head of South East Queensland Scott Riedel urged parents and caregivers to take extra care while catching trains with children, admitting the number of near-miss cases is "concerning".

"In the footage, we see a child slip between the platform and train in a split second. It's confronting," Mr Riedel said. "But we want to show everyone just how quickly children can find themselves in potentially dangerous situations.

"It's a concerning number which serves as a stark reminder that we all need to be aware of our surroundings while travelling on the network."

While it's easier for small children to slip between the gap, a larger child or adult is still at risk, Mr Riedel warned. Anyone can sustain a painful injury "if a limb slips between the train and platform", he said.

CCTV showing child falling down gap between train and platform.
CCTV captures child slipping between train and platform at Roma St station in Brisbane. Source: Queensland Trains

Children at risk of serious injury

In other newly released footage, a child can be seen running from his mother towards an oncoming train at Woodridge station in March, and CCTV from Roma St station in Brisbane's CBD shows another older child falling down the side of train.

In 2016, the New South Wales government issued the same warning after noting a rise in child-related injuries on platforms across Sydney. The following year, Sydney Trains released terrifying footage showing a small boy disappearing between the gap, coming overwhelmingly close to serious injury.

"[Parents must] be alert when travelling with excited little ones who may wander close to the edge of the platform unaware of the dangers of passing trains," Mr Riedel concluded.

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