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 has fallen from a passenger train on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, suspending some services for about an hour as emergency services responded.

A medical team was flown to the scene to treat the boy after reports he fell from the train about 11.30am on Thursday.

The incident occurred on a train travelling northbound from the CBD in the rail corridor between Wynyard and Milsons Point stations.

The boy was taken by ambulance to Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition with injuries to his head, legs and pelvis.

Sydney Trains confirmed the teenager fell from the back carriage of a Tangara passenger train which was passing over the Harbour Bridge.

Services were suspended in both directions for a period but have resumed. Delays are expected.

The government is fitting safety devices to all 55 Tangara trains in the passenger fleet to stop the dangerous and growing trend of teenagers riding on the outside of them.

The specially designed cones are angled metal covers that block access to the tread plate between carriages. It is the area often used by so-called buffer riders or train surfers who cling to the outside of moving trains for social-media videos.

Buffer riders have targeted Tangara trains, resulting in the T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra line being the one most disrupted. Last year, more than 3000 minutes were lost to buffer riding and vandalism.

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