A 24-year-old man in Austria sparked a dramatic scene on Saturday after clinging to the outside of a high-speed Railjet train when it departed without him during a cigarette break.
According to railway officials, the incident happened at the Sankt Poelten station, west of Vienna, as the train was traveling from Zurich, Switzerland, to Austria’s capital. The man, an Algerian national, reportedly jumped into the gap between two train carriages as the train began to move.
Witnesses told Austrian news outlet Heute that the passenger began banging on the windows to get attention. The conductor quickly initiated an emergency stop, allowing crew members to bring the man safely onboard.
“This is extremely dangerous and irresponsible,” said Austrian railways spokesperson Herbert Hofer. “Not only do you risk your own life, but you also endanger emergency responders if something goes wrong.”
The unscheduled stop caused a seven-minute delay before the train arrived at Vienna’s Meidling station, where police escorted the man away for questioning. Authorities are still investigating the incident.
