CCTV footage captured the dramatic near-miss at Newark Northgate railway station in Nottinghamshire last month.
The 36-second clip shows the three-year-old boy walking behind two adults before running to the edge of the platform.
He appears to lower himself over the edge before tumbling backward onto the track.
A man who was with the child is seen sprinting across the platform while a hero bystander leaps onto the line and lifts the boy to safety.
Just 22 seconds later a train speeds through the station without stopping.
Station customer services assistant Olivia Timms, who saw the incident, said: “I think the fact a train came through the station at speed just seconds after emphasized just how awful the outcome could have been.
“Thankfully, everyone made it home safely that day and we want to make sure that happens every day.”
The footage was released by the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) as part of Rail Safety Week.
Warrick Dent, safety and operations director at LNER, added: “Thankfully incidents like the one captured on the CCTV are rare, but they do happen.
“We know that traveling with children can be challenging. Navigating buggies and luggage through a busy station can be stressful.
“So, we want to make sure parents and carers are aware of the services we have available which can make their journey with us smoother and safer.”
LNER has also released two other clips of incidents caught on CCTV.
In the first video, passengers are seen leaving a train at Darlington Station.
A child is then seen falling through the gap between the train and the platform next to a station guard.
A crowd gathers as the guard desperately pulls the young passenger to safety.
In another incident, a baby falls backward out of a buggy when boarding a train at Newcastle Central station.
Luckily train staff and witnesses hauled the tot back onto the platform.
Already this year, eight safety incidents involving children have been recorded at LNER stations.
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
