Fare-Dodging Passenger Risks Life on High-Speed German Train

A Hungarian national’s daring attempt to retrieve his luggage by clinging to a high-speed train has resulted in police intervention and raised concerns about passenger safety and fare evasion practices in Germany.

In an unusual incident that has drawn attention to the risks associated with fare evasion, a Hungarian man was lucky to escape unharmed after clinging to the outside of a high-speed ICE train in Germany. The 40-year-old had boarded the train in Munich but decided to take a smoking break during a scheduled stop in Ingolstadt. Unfortunately for him, he lingered too long and found himself stranded as the train's doors closed.

Facing the prospect of losing his luggage, which he had left on the train, he improvised by jumping onto a bracket between two carriages. He held onto some cables as the train reached speeds of up to 282 km/h (175 mph), traveling toward Nuremberg. Emergency alerts from concerned witnesses prompted federal police to intervene. The train made an unscheduled stop at Kinding in Upper Bavaria, approximately 30 kilometers from where the incident began.

After local police assisted, the man was brought back onto the train by an off-duty police officer who had been traveling. He was then handed over to federal authorities once they arrived at Nuremberg central station. Authorities have announced that the man will face investigations for potential benefit fraud, in addition to charges related to "an act disruptive to operations," which is classified as an administrative offense.

Federal police have issued stern warnings to the public about the dangers of riding on the exterior of trains and emphasized the importance of safety while traveling. This cautionary tale highlights the lengths some individuals might go to in order to avoid fare requirements while raising the issue of safety standards on high-speed rail services in Germany.