Police, Metrolinx warn not to train surf after boy, 15, injured

Toronto police and Metrolinx are sounding the alarm on the dangers of train surfing after a 15-year-old boy was sent to hospital with critical injuries over the weekend.

Four young people, aged 14 to 16, got on a GO train headed east from Union Station late Saturday night, police have said. Three climbed on top of the roof while it was moving, where one boy collided with an object.

While the four were able to get back inside the train and call for help, the 15-year-old remains in life-threatening condition in hospital, said Const. Cindy Chung.

"It's really not worth that 15 seconds, 30 seconds of fame just to know that you caused injury to a friend or someone that you are with," said Chung.

"We want to just emphasize that train surfing is very reckless and dangerous and illegal."

Chung said train surfing can lead to life-altering injuries, and even death. Last year, a 15-year-old boy who tried to climb on top of a moving TTC subway train died from his injuries.

The force recently issued a separate warning on rail way safety last month, after two teens were killed in a "tragic" UP Express train collision.

Metrolinx working to 'mitigate' risk

Police say they're investigating how and why the teens climbed on top of a moving train and are asking any witnesses to come forward. Meanwhile, Metrolinx chief COO and safety officer Martin Gallagher says the transit agency is working to "control and mitigate the risk" of train surfing on its property.

"We don't make access to the exterior of trains easy, particularly the roofs of trains. We've removed lots of maintenance and inspection equipment that is there for legitimate reasons just to deter people from using things like hand holds and ladders," said Gallagher.

"It takes a degree of planning and determination and agility, and you would have to be determined to defeat some of the controls in place to get onto the top of the train."

While Metrolinx doesn't see many incidents like this, Gallagher said it's noted an increase in "thrill-seeking behaviour" globally among people wanting to share risky moments on social media.

"We haven't seen an uptick... But we're always conscious and aware that there is that possibility," he said.

"These are 100 per cent preventable incidents and people, sometimes young people, [make] decisions in environments which they don't fully understand."