Unbelievable Escape: Fare-Dodger Survives Outside High-Speed Train

A Hungarian man clung to the outside of a high-speed German train after missing his chance to board, prompting an unscheduled stop and a police investigation.

In a remarkable incident in Germany, a 40-year-old man made headlines for his reckless attempt to evade fare enforcement by clinging to the outside of a high-speed train. The man, a Hungarian national, had boarded the Intercity-Express (ICE) train in Munich but left the vehicle for a smoking break while it stopped in Ingolstadt. Unfortunately, his smoke lingered longer than expected, and when he attempted to board again, he found the train doors had closed.

Facing the prospect of being stranded without his belongings, which he had left on the train, the man took the dangerous route of jumping onto a bracket between two train carriages. Clinging to cables, he held on as the train accelerated towards Nuremberg at speeds reaching 282 km/h (175 mph).

Quick action from vigilant witnesses enabled authorities to react promptly. Behind-the-scenes, federal police were alerted while those aboard the train passed on the information to the driver who made an emergency stop at Kinding in Upper Bavaria, approximately 30km from where the man had initially clung to the moving train.

Upon reaching the stop, the police found the daredevil passenger unharmed, which officials described as "amazing." A state police officer who happened to be traveling on the train aided the man in getting to safety, after which he was transferred to federal police at Nuremberg's central station.

As he faced potential repercussions for his actions, the man is currently under investigation for benefit fraud, given that he did not possess a valid ticket. He will likely face additional charges for creating a disruption to train operations, a serious administrative offense that could lead to further legal complications.