c0rnpudding
New member
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2025
- Messages
- 2
Hey everyone, I have a brother who's a huge Amtrak enthusiast, and he has this absolutely wild story from March 2019.
He was riding the California Zephyr, and he witnessed a live birth on the train!
He met this young couple, Hillary and Carson, who were only 19. Hillary was very pregnant, and since airlines wouldn't let her fly so close to her due date, Amtrak was their only way home to Colorado Springs. They quickly bonded, and my brother was actually in the roomette right next to theirs.
Around 1 AM, deep in remote Utah, Carson frantically woke my brother up bcs Hillary was in full labor, her water had just broken!
They alerted the Sleeping Car Attendant, Justin Woods, a young guy in his early 20s. With no hospital nearby, Justin bravely stepped up, using knowledge he'd gleaned from online videos, and delivered a healthy baby girl in about 20 minutes!
My brother was right there, holding Hillary's leg and even recording for them. The umbilical cord couldn't be cut on board, but the baby was safe.
Hillary and Carson were incredibly relieved and grateful. They even named their baby Emma Amtrak Burns!
After the birth, the train stopped, and paramedics arrived with a helicopter to airlift them to a hospital in Salt Lake City, even in the freezing cold. My brother helped Carson carry their things off.
Apparently, this isn't as rare as you'd think. Amtrak staff have told my brother that babies are born on trains 4-6 times a year, often because airlines restrict late term pregnant travelers.
This whole thing left my brother (and me!) with some thoughts and questions, and we'd love your feedback:
- If you or a loved one were in that situation, would you be grateful to the Amtrak staff member who delivered the baby?
- Given how remote some Amtrak routes like the California Zephyr can be, do you think it's too risky for heavily pregnant women to travel by train when airlines restrict flying? What happens if labor starts in a truly inaccessible canyon?
- What are your thoughts on this incredible story?
He was riding the California Zephyr, and he witnessed a live birth on the train!
He met this young couple, Hillary and Carson, who were only 19. Hillary was very pregnant, and since airlines wouldn't let her fly so close to her due date, Amtrak was their only way home to Colorado Springs. They quickly bonded, and my brother was actually in the roomette right next to theirs.
Around 1 AM, deep in remote Utah, Carson frantically woke my brother up bcs Hillary was in full labor, her water had just broken!
They alerted the Sleeping Car Attendant, Justin Woods, a young guy in his early 20s. With no hospital nearby, Justin bravely stepped up, using knowledge he'd gleaned from online videos, and delivered a healthy baby girl in about 20 minutes!
My brother was right there, holding Hillary's leg and even recording for them. The umbilical cord couldn't be cut on board, but the baby was safe.
Hillary and Carson were incredibly relieved and grateful. They even named their baby Emma Amtrak Burns!
After the birth, the train stopped, and paramedics arrived with a helicopter to airlift them to a hospital in Salt Lake City, even in the freezing cold. My brother helped Carson carry their things off.
Apparently, this isn't as rare as you'd think. Amtrak staff have told my brother that babies are born on trains 4-6 times a year, often because airlines restrict late term pregnant travelers.
This whole thing left my brother (and me!) with some thoughts and questions, and we'd love your feedback:
- If you or a loved one were in that situation, would you be grateful to the Amtrak staff member who delivered the baby?
- Given how remote some Amtrak routes like the California Zephyr can be, do you think it's too risky for heavily pregnant women to travel by train when airlines restrict flying? What happens if labor starts in a truly inaccessible canyon?
- What are your thoughts on this incredible story?
