PARENTS have been alerted to pushchair risks on train platforms following the release of alarming CCTV footage.

The video captures the moment an unattended pushchair was swept into the slipstream of a passing freight train.

Parents and others looking after children have been warned to take extra care when using pushchairs on station platforms by the Rail Safety and Standards Body (RSSB).

RSSB state the incident at Nuneaton Station shows the consequences when a pushchair is left unattended and without brakes on.

While train travel is significantly safer than the car and the risks to passengers are low, RSSB state, the incident serves as a reminder that care needs to be taken near the platform edge.

Lead human factors specialist for RSSB, Paul Leach, said: “The best way of keeping you, your children and your belongings safe is to keep hold of your pram, fully applying the brake where possible.

“We know that anyone looking after children will have their hands full and may feel they can’t keep an eye on everything and everyone at once.

"But the CCTV at Nuneaton shows just how important it is to keep control of a pushchair.

“For its part, the rail industry will always want to work to make things safer for passengers.

"We are working closely with Network Rail, passenger and freight train operators and other rail bodies on the issues.

"Our research on aerodynamic risks have informed better standards for companies to follow, to help reduce risk to passengers on trains and on stations.”

RSSB is also working with the rail industry to refresh its passenger awareness campaigns on station safety, including with the Rail Delivery Group who are specifically looking at the issue of trains passing through platforms.