Teen Critically Hurt After Falling From Train on Sydney Harbour Bridge in Suspected Train Surfing

A 17-year-old boy fell from a train onto the tracks of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at about 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 12, suffering serious injuries and is in critical condition. Police believe he may have been train surfing — riding on the outside of the moving train.

Fall between Wynyard and Milsons Point

New South Wales Police said the boy fell onto the tracks as the train crossed the bridge between Wynyard and Milsons Point stations. Paramedics found him with injuries to his head, chest and pelvis; he was taken to Royal North Shore Hospital in critical condition, and 10 News reported he is in an induced coma. A rescue helicopter landed at nearby Bradfield Park to bring a medical team to the scene.

Inspector Luke Barrett of the Police Transport Command said initial inquiries and CCTV footage indicated the boy had been hanging off the outside of the train's rear carriage and that it was "likely" he was engaged in an activity commonly known as "buffer riding". Police are investigating and have appealed for witnesses to contact Crime Stoppers.

About 150 similar incidents this year

Sydney Trains acting head Jas Tumber said there had been about 600 train-surfing incidents in 2025 and about 150 so far in 2026. During school holidays, the front and rear carriages of Tangara double-decker trains are locked off to prevent the practice. He warned that train surfing is extremely dangerous and "can result in very serious injuries or possible death" when something goes wrong. The incident disrupted train services across Sydney on Thursday morning.

Sources: AAP; 7NEWS; 10 News; Xinhua. The boy's identity has not been released.