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ABC News
ABC News
Politics
By Brooke Wylie

'Dangerous and stupid': Videos reveal Sydney's train surfing spike

New footage released by Sydney Trains shows the daredevil teens surfing on Sydney's busy rail network.

Among the CCTV footage released, a young boy is seen in what appears to be a school uniform running across the tracks at a level crossing in Dapto on the state's south coast, seconds before a train speeds through.

Another clip shows a teenage boy step out of the final carriage and onto a narrow ledge off the back door where he sits as the train leaves the station.

All of the clips were recorded in the past two months.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said teenage boys seeking social media fame were the worst offenders.

"These young boys are trying to show off, show off to their mates, show off online, and they really are just putting their own lives at risk," he said.

"I think peer-group pressure is encouraging these idiots to do this, and I think social media, as a means to be able to promote your dangerous and stupid activity.

"A human body is no match for a 400-tonne train, these kids think they're invincible, they're not."

Last year, 110 people were reporting surfing on trains, more than double the number of the previous year.

Tony Eid from Sydney Trains said the city's CBD and Illawarra line between Mortdale and Tempe are the most notorious areas for train surfers.

"All it would take is for the driver to accelerate a little faster than normal, or brake suddenly for that individual to lose their grip and fall onto the line," he said.

"Do not play Russian roulette with a 400-tonne train. It is completely stupid."

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