Conductor stops moving train travelling at 112km/h to rescue little boy from the tracks

A conductor managed to stop a train travelling 70 miles an hour in order to save a three-year-old boy wandering alone on the tracks.

The child was alone and walking just a few feet from the electrified metal near Tarrytown Station in New York.

The train driver slammed the brakes on while it was travelling at 70 miles per hour.

The heroic rescue was captured on CCTV, showing conductor Marcus Higgins running onto the tracks after stopping the engine.

According to initial reports, the child was non-verbal at the time.

The conductor slammed on the brakes while it was travelling at 70 miles per hour (YouTube)

"Emergency, emergency, you have to stop the track, we have a small child on the track," the conductor can be heard saying in an engine room recording.

Seeing the child was not responding to the oncoming locomotive, Higgins hit the button, shutting off the power to the rail.

After the daring rescue, Higgins put the youngster on the train and reunited him with his mum and sister.

A debate broke out recently on an internet forum about whether a mum was right in allowing her 11-year-old son to travel alone on a train, with only his younger child for a companion.

The parent explained she's trying to work out the logistics of a plan - and if it goes ahead, the pair will travel alone without an adult.

However, she was keen to stress the kids would be supervised by grown-ups at either end of the journey.

He got the youngster on the train and took him to be with his mum and sister (YouTube)

In the controversial post to Mumsnet, she questioned if she was being unreasonable "to think 11 is not too young to travel on a train alone".

"Please settle a debate! Happy to hear all opinions," she wrote, introducing her conundrum.

"Is 11 years old, starting year seven in September, too young to take a one hour train journey, without parents but with a slightly younger child?" the mum asked. "Put on at one end by an adult and met at the other end by an adult, with a phone and data, and train staff informed? No behavioural problems or SEN."

But several commenters felt they could not fairly answer the question with the information given.

"More context needed I think. Responsible for younger child - no. Ok to do journey on own - not used to train, few other passengers, few stops, unfamiliar journey - probably not quite yet - too vulnerable to deal with weirdos. Train to school full of other kids on the same journey with lots of stops - should be fine," read one reply.

Echoing a similar sentiment, someone else said: "An 11 year old should not be responsible for a younger child on a train."