Trespassers are being urged to stop risking their lives on the transport system by illegally clinging onto the back of train carriages travelling up to 110 kilometres an hour.
Shocking CCTV footage from January shows two people climbing on to the back of a train at Lidcombe, moments before it drives off and passes through Flemington Station on its way to the city.
Eleven people have died because of illegal trespassing in rail corridors in the past five years; two of those deaths occurred in the past year.
Sydney Trains Chief Executive Matt Longland said they saw a spike in these incidents during the school holidays when people had more free time.
“This is an extremely dangerous and stupid thing to do; all it takes is one misstep and your life could be over,” he said.
“All too often we see lives lost by people trespassing in the live rail corridor. It only takes a train accelerating or braking quickly, or for it to move close to infrastructure for someone to be knocked onto the tracks.”
Mr Longland said trains weighed 400 tonnes and travelled up to 110km/h… “If the fall itself doesn’t kill you, the next train coming along probably will”.
Penalties for trespassing in the rail corridor can exceed $550.
Commuters are also urged to report ‘buffer riding’ and other anti-social or criminal behaviours to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
