Train surfing

, Russia. Due to overcrowding inside the train some passengers are forced to ride between the cars The phenomenon of riding on the outside of trains came with the appearance of the first railway lines. On a series of first railways, riding on rooftops and footboards of trains was common, but over time, starting from the second half of the 19th century, with an increase in the sizes and speed of trains, passenger coaches began to be produced fully covered and insulated from streets with a placement of all passenger seats inside carriages in order to improve the safety of passengers and prevent people falling from a moving train. As trams became more common in Europe and the United States in the early 20th century, overcrowding prompted passengers to begin riding on footboards, doors, couplers and sometimes on the roofs of trams. European conflicts such as the First World War, Russian Civil War and World War II frequently saw soldiers and refugees travelling on the roofs of carriages due to lack of seating. In the mid-20th century, railways in many European and American countries took measures to reduce overcrowding in carriages and prevent riding outside of them, so the prevalence of train surfing in those countries decreased. In some countries of Southeast Asia and Africa with a high population density, however, the problem of overcrowding of different vehicles, including trains, grew rapidly, so train surfing in those countries became a widespread phenomenon. Beginning in the mid-2000s there were frequent cancellations of commuter trains and crowding inside rail carriages in the Moscow region, especially since the late 1990s, as gridlock grips this metropolis of 30 million without a single metro system, and the city comes up with alternative transport such as car jockeys. Jakarta traffic is the most gridlocked in Southeast Asia, perhaps among the worst worldwide. It has built a bus rapid transit system, but with little success, as there is no separation from the heavy traffic. The tropical heat and urban heat island effect also makes the top the only place on the train with plenty of air circulation. Since 2013 the practice has been eliminated after the state railway company Kereta Api Indonesia modernized the ticketing system, allowing tickets to be sold up to 90 days in advance, and including check in requirements along with increasing the amount of rolling stock. On KRL commuter services, stations are modernized by installing turnstiles, implementing contactless payment and locking down the station. All non-commuter train now have passenger limit of 100 to 110% while previously a service could run at 200% or more capacity. == Travelling without a ticket ==

commuter train in Moscow Oblast Despite the improvements in trains in the late 19th century, some individuals continued riding on the outside of trains to travel without having a ticket. In the United States, this became a common means of transportation following the American Civil War as the railways began pushing westward, especially among migrant workers who became known as "hobos". It continued to be widely used by those unable to afford other transportation, especially during times of widespread economic dislocation such as the Great Depression. Individuals may train-surf in countries such as Bangladesh and South Africa to avoid the cost of a ticket or as a recreational activity. Some railway workers, such as shunters or conductors, are often allowed to ride on exterior parts of trains during shunting operations, but with many limitations. == For entertainment ==

2010 New York City newspapers from the early 20th century record deaths and injuries from riding on top of trains. In 1904, the year that the city's subway opened, one teenage boy was killed and another injured when they rode a subway car roof together and were struck by low bridge. Both train surfing and tram surfing were practiced by Soviet youths in the 1980s. Russian train-surfing fans began to call themselves zatseper and also name their hobby zatseping (from the Russian word "Зацепиться-Zatsepitsya" translated as "to catch on"). Train surfing became something like an extreme sport discipline for them. During the 1990s, train surfing on a commuter electric multiple unit train became popular in Europe among young people who live near railway lines. In Germany, the practice of S-Bahn surfing was made popular during the 1990s. The phenomenon was forgotten until 2005, when it was rediscovered by a group of train surfers from Frankfurt. The leader of the crew who calls himself "the Trainrider" surfed the InterCityExpress, the fastest train in Germany. An Internet video claimed that he died a year later from an incurable form of leukemia, but later the Trainrider revealed in an interview that this video was made by a fan and the story of his death was a hoax. With the creation of the internet, the practice of filming the act and posting online videos of it is on the increase worldwide. Train surfers can use social networks to find and communicate with each other and organize trips by trains in small groups. Larger communities of train surfers sometimes organize major events in which dozens of people ride outside trains. == Hazards==

Hazards that occur whilst train surfing include falling off a moving train, falling underneath the train, colliding with buildings, structures and objects that are close to the train's path as it moves along the track and electrocution from overhead power lines or the trains power supply. A person can receive an electric shock from an overhead power line or conductor rail when their body comes into contact with it. Overhead power lines on railways are also able to create an electric arc meaning that a person does not need to make contact with the power line to receive an electric shock. Injuries and deaths In the decade before August 2000, in Brazil, there were 100 people who died in more than 200 accidents. In South Africa in 2006, 19 people died whilst train surfing with a further 100 train-surfing accidents occurring. In Indonesia, in two years before 2008, 53 people died whilst train surfing. In the Russian Central Federal District in 2015 there were 24 people injured whilst train surfing and in 2016 in the Central Federal District there were 9 people who died whilst train surfing. In New York City, on October 23, 2024, a 13-year-old boy became the 5th person to die in 2024 from subway surfing. In Ukraine, in 2017, there were 12 people who died whilst train surfing. == Prevention and punishments ==

Train surfing is illegal in most jurisdictions of the world. Many railways take a zero tolerance policy to practice of riding on exterior parts of trains, and employ railway police and guards in an attempt to prevent the practice. Police officers and guards usually patrol the territory of large passenger stations and freight yards, and can arrest train surfers if they are spotted. In some countries, railway police can patrol the territory of railways in utility trucks, SUVs ("bullmobiles"), or even standard police cars. In countries where the practice of trains surfing occurs regularly, the police frequently organize raids in order to detect surfers so that they can be removed and arrested. The most common form of penalty for train surfers is a fine. However, in some countries, such as the United States or Canada, train surfers can be both fined and imprisoned. In the United Kingdom, train surfing is prohibited under railway byelaw No. 10, which prohibits travelling in or on any train except in areas of the train intended for use by that person. At least 87 people were arrested in the last four months of 2010 on Melbourne's railways for offences relating to train surfing. In Russia, over 1000 train surfers were arrested at the Moscow Railway during ten months of 2011. In India, 153 people were prosecuted in a single day in June 2012 for train surfing on the Central Railway. Deterrents train which prevents passengers from falling into the gap and also impedes climbing between them To reduce the practice of riding on the outside of trains, railway companies often place signs that warn about the dangers of train surfing. While there are no official numbers, in 2007, the London Underground ran a public awareness campaign against "tube surfing". The Indonesian railway company, PT Kereta Api, has tried several methods to deter train surfers. Early methods included spraying those caught with red paint and placing barbed wire on train roofs. In 2012, the company began suspending heavy concrete balls above the railway, a short distance from the stations. This method was criticised as being potentially lethal. == See also ==