Terrifying moment boy, 4, falls down gap between platform and train as panicked commuters desperately alert the driver

A FOUR-YEAR-OLD boy can be seen falling through the gap between a train and the platform as panicked commuters wave to get the driver’s attention.

The child was captured on CCTV boarding a train as his mother walked behind carrying a baby and pushing a pushchair.

But the boy doesn’t notice a large gap in front of him, and promptly disappears onto the tracks below.

People around him quickly begin signalling to the driver and reaching through the gap to pull the boy back to safety.

The boy is later seen sat on a platform bench being comforted by his mum and rail staff as the train pulls away.

The footage was shot at a Sydney rail station in February of this year, and has been released as part of a campaign to promote children’s safety on the city’s rail network over the upcoming school holidays.

A message over the footage reads: “Please hold on to little ones when boarding and leaving the train.”

Another clip released shows a young boy falling forwards while rushing down a long set of stairs and having to be carried back up the stairs by station police.

Sydney Trains said that no child shown in the film suffered serious injury.

In the past year, almost 200 children were involved in accidents across Sydney’s rail network, 68 of whom fell between the train and the platform.

Such falls were the most common cause of injury, followed by slips and trips around the station.

Australia’s Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance said on Tuesday: “Regrettably, a lot of those incidents were preventable and one child injured on the network is one too many.

“School holidays are naturally an exciting time for many families, but sadly it is also a time when the number of accidents on the network dramatically increases

“As a parent, I know how hard it can be to juggle travel with young children.

“But a simple thing such as holding your child’s hand when moving around stations and boarding a train can help prevent them from being seriously injured or worse.”

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