A baby was born on a busy MTA subway train Wednesday morning, welcoming a new life to a system that has seen many issues in recent months.
According to NYPD sources, a quick-thinking Good Samaritan immediately called 911 as the 26-year-old expectant mother went into labor on a southbound W train at the 34th Street-Herald Square station in Midtown.
It is unclear just yet who handled the delivery, but law enforcement sources said the baby girl came into the world at 11:35 a.m. on Feb. 12 before police officers arrived at the scene.
The conductor of the train, upon hearing the news that the woman had just given birth, held the train in the station and responded to the car, joined by a NYC Transit train service supervisor and multiple NYPD officers, MTA officials said.
Both mother and baby were immediately taken by EMS to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue in Kips Bay. They are listed in stable condition, according to police sources.
The baby’s arrival is welcome news as stories of crime, homelessness and other subway problems have dominated headlines since the end of 2024 — even as transit crime plummeted in recent months.
“This is another example of New Yorkers coming together to help each other, assisted by caring transit workers and other responders, reflecting the best of the subway community and this city,” NYC Transit president Demetrius Crichlow said. “We are thrilled that both mother and Baby W are doing well, and look forward to welcoming both of them back aboard for a lifetime of reliable—and hopefully less dramatic—rides.”
The newborn, meanwhile, shares a birthday with Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States. Feb. 12 is observed nationwide as Lincoln’s Birthday; New York is one of eight states that still mark this holiday, which is more commonly observed nationwide as part of Presidents Day, the federal holiday on the third Monday of February.
