Researchers observe rise in trainsurfing injuries – severe burns and high mortality

Severe injuries and high mortality

The toll is severe: in electrical accidents, roughly 53 percent of trainsurfers required amputation, compared with just under 26 percent in high-voltage occupational accidents. The burned body surface area was nearly 48 percent among the train surfers, and just over 25 percent among the occupational accident victims. Overall, mortality in both groups stood at 25 percent.

High voltage: mortal danger from the overhead line

The ÖBB also stress how dangerous proximity to the overhead lines is. A spokesperson told the STANDARD: "Es gibt vielfältige Risiken, die in diesem Kontext schlagend werden – und alle sind lebensbedrohlich." According to the ÖBB website, the power lines that drive the trains operate at 15,000 volts of high voltage – roughly 65 times the voltage needed to charge a smartphone from a conventional outlet (230 volts). Electricity can be "in Form eines Lichtbogens auch über eine Distanz von mehreren Metern lebensgefährlich sein."

A specific incident occurred last weekend on the Koralm Railway. On Saturday evening, several people had observed youths climbing onto the roof of an ÖBB train bound for Graz at Kühnsdorf station in Carinthia. The train initially continued and then stopped in the Koralm Tunnel after an emergency braking. The line was closed for hours, and the tunnel area was inspected. Those involved were able to flee; video recordings along the route as well as from the station and tunnel areas were handed over to the investigating authorities.

Incident on the Koralm Railway

The ÖBB announced that they would work closely with the police "damit die beteiligten Personen ausgeforscht werden," and reserve the right to take further legal action. The company "aufs Schärfste" condemned the action: "Sogenanntes Trainsurfing ist eine massive Gefährdung des eigenen Lebens sowie der Sicherheit anderer Menschen."

Why young people take to trains is also a subject of behavioral research. A study published in 2021 with 93 participants aged 12 to 42, released in the journal PLOS Biology, introduced the concept of "Decision Noise." According to this, young people make "verrauschte" judgments – this distortion, however, decreases with age. Psychologist Norman Schmid told ORF Niederösterreich: "Das Risiko bei anderen schätzen wir durchaus als hoch ein bei gewissen Aktivitäten, aber bei einem selbst nicht. Das heißt, es ist so die Annahme, den anderen mag das vielleicht passieren, für die kann es gefährlich sein, für mich aber nicht."

Social media as an amplifier

A further analysis by the University Hospital Zurich, published in the journal Burns, reveals an additional amplifier of the trend: trainsurfers frequently film themselves and share the footage on social media. Comments and user interactions often glorify and encourage the risky behavior, while blocks of dangerous content can easily be circumvented.

Prevention and legal situation

The ÖBB themselves describe the situation as "alarmierend": already by mid-year the number of cases from the entire previous year had nearly been reached. Overall, trainsurfing incidents in the low double-digit range have been recorded by the ÖBB over the past five years.

The ÖBB are trying to counter the trend with prevention: in the "Sicherheit macht Schule" program, experts visit school classes, and the "Pass auf dich auf" campaign provides videos on YouTube about the dangers of climbing onto trains. According to the ÖBB, trainsurfing is illegal and punishable by fine.

The Vienna study also points to a possible explanation for the development: while from 1994 to 2008 fewer than one trainsurfing patient per year was treated on average, the number of cases has risen significantly in recent years. The researchers see this as an alarming trend that primarily affects young men.