Teen critical after fall from train on Sydney Harbour Bridge

Detailed summary

A teenage boy has fallen from a train on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, leaving him with injuries to his head, legs and pelvis and suspending some rail services.

A teenager is in critical condition after falling from a passenger train on the Sydney Harbour Bridge while hanging from the side of a carriage in an alleged train surfing incident, forcing a halt to services for about an hour.

Emergency workers carried the boy, 17, about 400 metres from where he fell onto the Harbour Bridge rail tracks about 11.30am on Thursday. He suffered serious injuries to his head, legs and pelvis, and was rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition.

The boy was riding on the side of the back carriage in what police described as buffer riding – also known as train surfing – a dangerous activity where people often record themselves and post to social media.

“This is highly dangerous, it carries an extreme level of risk, and … can result in various serious injuries or death,” Police Transport Command Inspector Luke Barrett said.

The teenager was moved by emergency services from the tracks to Bradfield Park, where he was taken into an ambulance.

He was accompanied on the train by two others, according to Barrett, who praised the response of emergency workers while the teen fights for his life.

The pair who accompanied the boy are assisting police. Train services over the bridge were suspended for about an hour but resumed early on Thursday afternoon.

Investigators are still determining how the boy got onto the exterior of the train. Barrett said it was common for people to break into the back carriage to gain access.

Sydney Trains acting chief executive Jas Tumber said almost 115 incidents of buffer riding had been recorded so far this year, compared with about 600 in 2025.

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