Patrick Morgan was at Central Station on December 27, 2006, when he saw the woman, 85, fall into the gap between the train and the platform.

Then aged 16, he risked his life by jumping under the train to provide first aid and stay with her for 20 minutes until help arrived.

Meanwhile, his friend ran to tell the train driver to keep the train stationary.

Patrick, who is spending a gap year travelling in Europe and working at an orphanage in India, said he was shocked when he heard about the award.

"Now having the time to think about it, I feel very honoured,'' he said.

"I believe I did what any person would do, and only afterwards did I realise the danger I had been in.

"I was a little overwhelmed by all the media attention, but as a teenager it was good to show people that my generation was not all bad.''

Patrick's parents, Chris, 59, and Marian, 49, and his sister Lana, 20, are proud of him.

"Through all of this Patrick has been amazingly modest, but I am proud of how he reacted and I think it was very clear-headed thinking for a 16-year-old,'' Mr Morgan said.

"Teenagers get a lot of bad press, but if Patrick and his friends are typical of his generation, then I have great hope for the future.''

The woman was taken to hospital with neck and spinal injuries. Patrick never got to see her again as she died in hospital a few months later.

In June, Patrick received the regional commander's certificate of appreciation from Deputy Police Commissioner, David Owens, and Assistant Commissioner Catherine Burn at a ceremony in Kogarah.

Governor-General Michael Jeffery, who approved the award, said Patrick was a role model in society.