Austrian man’s miraculous survival: Holds onto speeding train following brief stop for a cigarette | Austria

A man clinging to the outside of a high-speed train in Austria survived the perilous journey. After reportedly stepping outside to smoke a cigarette, he found himself hanging on as the train left the station in St Poelten, west of Vienna, late on Saturday. Austrian railways spokesperson Herbert Hofer later confirmed that the man managed to board the train safely following an emergency stop. Hofer also expressed his concern over the man’s reckless behavior, emphasizing the potential dangers for both the individual and the emergency responders in such situations. The Railjet train, often reaching speeds up to 230 kilometers per hour, had left on time from Zurich, Switzerland, but arrived in Vienna with a seven-minute delay. According to an onboard passenger, the man had tried to get back on the train after it began moving from a planned stop in Sankt Poelten; he eventually managed to attract the conductor’s attention, who then used the emergency brake. The man, a 24-year-old Algerian, was later taken away by police at Vienna’s Meidling station for further investigation. Similar incidents have been reported in the past, such as a 40-year-old Hungarian man who clung to a German high-speed train for 32 kilometers in January, also after attempting to board the train while it was in motion.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/11/man-survives-after-clinging-to-high-speed-austrian-train-after-getting-off-to-have-a-cigarette