Kelly Holyoake, 57, who works in the ticket office, noticed the woman sitting on the floor just behind the yellow line while monitoring CCTV and sensed that something was wrong.
Her intervention revealed that the woman was experiencing a mental health crisis.
Kelly said: “My gut instinct was telling me something wasn’t right, so I approached her carefully and asked if she was okay, but she smiled and said she was fine.
“I still felt uneasy about the situation and didn’t want to leave her, so I asked if she would like to sit on the benches and that’s when she looked at me and started crying.
“I offered to take her to the waiting room to help calm her down, which was when she told me she didn’t want to live anymore because she had some problems in her personal life.”
Kelly reassured the woman and promised she was not alone.
She offered to make her a cup of tea, and while briefly out of the room, she called colleagues for support and kept an eye on the woman using CCTV.
She stayed with her for 20 minutes until British Transport Police arrived.
Kelly, who has worked in the rail industry for nine years and with Southern for three, credited her training in suicide prevention, provided by Southern and the Samaritans, with helping her respond calmly and effectively.
She said: “The course was brilliant because I subconsciously put this knowledge into action to save this woman’s life, so I’m relieved I was in the right place at the right time.
“It really resonated with me and gave me a good understanding of how to be an active listener and provide reassurance to people who are having suicidal thoughts.”
She encouraged members of the public to reach out to station staff if they are worried about someone’s wellbeing.
Kelly said: “My team are always looking out for passengers, and I encourage the public to approach station staff if they’re concerned about someone’s welfare.”
In non-emergency situations, the public can text British Transport Police on 6106 for help.
