Mumbai, Aug 15 (IANS): The Central Railway staff helped a 25-year old woman passenger travelling on the Thiruvananthapuram-Hazrat Nizamuddin special train deliver a baby girl on Independence Day, officials said.

The woman in the advanced stage of pregnancy - identified as Dolly Sani - had boarded the train at Kozhikode, and suddenly developed labour pains when the train reached Panvel (Raigad), around 12.45 pm on Saturday.

CR officials advised her to deboard at Panvel and she was rushed to the emergency medical room where a medico Vishal Wani was called to attend to her.

Later in the afternoon, Sani delivered a baby girl in the ladies waiting room at the station. Both mother and the child are doing fine, said a CR spokesperson in Mumbai.

Subsequently, Panvel Deputy Station Superintendent A.J. Khan, the RPF, GRP and other staffers helped shift the mother and baby to a nearby hospital in the evening.

They also informed Sani's husband in Kerala about the glad tidings and he would be reaching Panvel on Sunday.

The CR has termed the joyous incident as an Independence Day gift by the Indian Railways to a fellow citizen.