Teens are found riding on the frozen rail car couplings near the South Cross train station
Caution: Contains Content About Dangerous Activities and Potential Risks
Jumping aboard an ICE train's coupling in the wee hours of Thursday morning landed two thrill-seekers in a precarious situation.
At around 5:33 AM, a unit of the Federal Police spotted the duo at Berlin's Südkreuz station. With the ICE 593 preparing for departure – traveling at an average speed of 160 to 220 km/h – they leapt onto the train's last carriage, aiming for Munich.
The next scheduled stop would have been Lutherstadt Wittenberg in Saxony-Anhalt, over 80 kilometers and 30 minutes away by train.
Emergency Stop and Hide-and-Seek
A emergency halt was promptly initiated in Brandenburg, disrupting train traffic. Officers swarming Luckenwalde station failed to locate the teens, though. Initial reports suggest they slipped into the city's shadowy corners, even prompting the deployment of a helicopter in the search.
"Unauthorized train-riding investigations against unknown individuals" confirmed Kostja Stroinski, Federal Police spokesperson. Investigations are ongoing, as a teenager was spotted filming the stunt from Südkreuz's platform.
Tragic Consequences of Similar Stunts
Two S-Bahn surfers (age 17, 18) fatally met their end in Berlin-Schlachtensee, just last April. Quite recklessly, they rode on a moving S-Bahn of line S1, colliding with a signal bridge about 300 meters away from the station, incurring fatal injuries.
In May, a 20-year-old man was apprehended by Federal Police on an S-Bahn of line S42. He carried an action camera, possibly to record his exploits.
The Perils of Riding the Rails
The Federal Police strongly advises against this ill-advised hobby. "The risks are unpredictable," they warn, citing the potential for collisions with stationary objects such as bridges or signals.
Frequently, youth engage in these acts to garner attention on social media platforms, making them even more inattentive to their perilous surroundings.
Historical data reveals that between 1989 and 1995, Berlin experienced 41 train-surfing accidents, with 18 fatalities documented[1]. These statistics reiterate the severe risks involved in this activity.
Data from Berlin suggests a rise in risky behaviors related to train surfing or similar транспортов extemes, with arrests relating to subway surfing having increased by 70%[2], emphasizing ongoing safety concerns. In light of ICE trains' high speeds and complex S-Bahn networks, the likelihood of dangerous accidents rises significantly.
In brief, train surfing in Germany persists as a highly deadly pastime that results in numerous fatalities and injuries[1][2][5]. Given the continuing trend, it's crucial to take the potential risks seriously.
- "The criminal investigation of unauthorized train-riding has been initiated by the Federal Police in relation to the recent dangerous activities at Berlin's Südkreuz station, under the categories of 'general-news' and 'crime-and-justice'."
- "As the sports section reports, the potential risks and tragic consequences of train-surfing are highlighted yet again, with the Federal Police warnig against such ill-advised hobbies, especially on high-speed ICE trains and the complex S-Bahn networks."
