A SHOCKED commuter has recalled the horrifying moment two brave men narrowly escaped with their lives after rescuing a woman who had climbed onto the tracks at St Albans City station.

Alain Beaufort was waiting for a train to London on Friday morning, just before 9.30am, when he heard people shouting and screaming that someone was on the tracks.

He turned around to see a woman standing on the tracks, totally calm and “looking like a statue”.

“I ran along the platform and asked her to give me her hand.

“Fortunately, a supervisor and a police officer were on the other side of the tracks. They told her to get off but she didn’t move. I even offered to jump down and get her but they told me to stay put.

“Next thing I knew, they had selflessly jumped onto the track and grabbed the woman and thrown her up to me.”

Alain then held onto the woman while the brave pair hauled themselves up on to Platform Three just seconds before the Kings Cross train rocketed through the station.

Alain added: “Everyone on the platform was completely shocked. It was literally seconds later that the train came through so it was lucky for everyone.

“You hear about these things all the time but you don’t ever want to see it.

“I think these two guys really deserve to be commended and praised for their actions.”

A British Transport Police (BTP) spokesman confirmed the incident and said: “BTP officers were called to St Albans City rail station on Friday May 11, following a report of a woman on the tracks.

“The 24-year-old woman, from Harpenden, was removed from the tracks by officers and taken to a local hospital, where she was later detained under the Mental Health Act.”

First Capital Connect (FCC) services through the station were not affected by the incident.

An FCC spokesman said: “We are pleased the young lady is safe and unharmed.

“Any incident like is very distressing for the passengers and staff who find themselves unwitting witnesses.”