James Hallett, 47, broke down in tears after the incident on a Northern line train in January and has since been nominated for a Pride of Britain award by the baby’s parents
A humble train conductor saved the life of a six-month-old baby on a train when he leapt into action to provide vital first aid.
Mum Jane Griffiths, whose baby had a medical emergency on a train, has praised a quick-thinking train worker for his help and nominated him for a Pride of Britain award. But train conductor James Hallett, 47, insisted “I’m not a hero, I’m just a bloke”.
He was checking tickets when he leapt into action after seeing a baby screaming and his parents panicking. His parents, Jane, 32, and Joe Pouton, 35, were travelling on the Northern line train, with their six-month-old son when they realised something was wrong.
A tube fitted to drain excess fluid from their baby’s brain had come loose during the journey from Knottingley to Hebden Bridge in January. Austin has hydrocephalus so requires a shunt in his skull to drain excess fluid, which was fitted two weeks before travelling.
He ran up the carriage to get a first aid kit and a foil blanket, which bought vital time for the family before Austin’s parents could get him to Leeds Children’s Hospital for emergency treatment. James said: “When they got off the train, I sat in the back cab crying. It was intensely stressful.
“You deal with things like this quite often, but so many times people get off and you never hear from them again.” James said: “When Jane got back in touch with me after the event about the nomination I was really pleased. But I’m not a hero, I’m just a bloke. I was literally doing my job.
“People think i just check tickets but I’m responsible for the safety for everyone on the train. I’m just really glad Austin is okay.” After undergoing several procedures, Austin is now recovering well at home. His grateful mother said: “If it wasn’t for James, he might not be alive now.
“Austin’s home now, he’s settled and he’s healing well but if James hadn’t reacted so quickly it could’ve been a very different situation. James didn’t have to do what he did that morning, but I’m so grateful that he did. He couldn’t have done any more.
“I was panicking, my partner was panicking and the baby was crying, but James calmed us down so we could get ourselves together and ring the hospital. He then ran up the carriage to get the first aid kit and a blanket to keep my baby warm. It was very reassuring.
“We really wanted to show our appreciation for James and we thought rocking up at the station with a box of chocolates for him just wouldn’t cut it.” Kerry Peters, regional director for Northern in Yorkshire, said: “We’re incredibly proud of James for stepping up to help the family deal with a difficult and distressing situation.
“Incidents like these show that our conductors, who are on board every service, are not just there to check tickets. They provide support and assistance to millions of passengers every year and work hard to keep them safe.”
