Sydney Trains: Anti-train surfing ramps installed to discourage youths playing ‘Russian roulette’
Teens chasing viral video footage or adrenaline by train surfing are set to be thwarted by new preventative measures.
Sydney’s trains will be fitted with angled metal covers at the back that would stop people being able to stand on the plate, cling to the vehicle and take the dangerous ride.
Train surfing figures have spiked by a quarter this year, according to official figures, with 275 cases recorded in 2025.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.But a six-month trial of the ‘nose cone’ attachments saw no incidents recorded.
Eleven people have been seriously injured as a result of the dangerous practice in the past five years.
One notable incident saw emergency services called to Caringbah Station, in Sydney’s south, to treat a 13-year-old boy who fell off the back of a train.
He was taken to hospital in a serious condition and was treated for head and arm injuries.
NSW Transport Minister John Graham noted preventing train surfing would not stop injury, but would also help the reliability of the network.
More than 3000 minutes have been lost to train surfing and vandalism in 2025, he said.
“The vision of teenagers playing Russian roulette with 400-tonne trains is heart-in-mouth stuff that will be confronting to watch for all parents,” Mr Graham said.
“We must end the buffer riding trend and the successful trial of the nose cone attachment on Tangaras means we can now get on with the job of physically preventing people stepping on to the tread plate in the first place.”
Sydney Trains will install the devices across the 55 Tangara trains, which officials say surfers have been targeting.
Installation is due to be complete by the end of 2026.
