Woman gives birth at London Tube station

A Polish woman has become only the second person to give birth on London's Underground rail network since it opened 146 years ago, the capital's transport authority confirmed today.

Julia Kowalska was travelling with her sister on the network's Jubilee line on December 19 when her contractions started.

She got off at Kingsbury, in northwest London, and gave birth to a healthy baby girl in the station supervisor's office, assisted by an ambulance crew.

She was taken to the nearby Northwick Park Hospital and was discharged after four days, a hospital spokesman said.

Brent Council, the local authority, said social workers were in contact with the woman, who was reported to be homeless.

The only other birth recorded on the 275-station underground network happened in 1924 when Marie Cordery was born at Elephant & Castle, operator Transport for London said.