Irish Rail and Luas log more than 50 train or tram surfing incidents since 2020
"Scutting” involves a person holding onto the outside of a train or tram as it moves between stations. File picture: Dan Linehan
MORE than 50 cases of surfing on board trams or trains have been reported by Irish Rail and Luas operators over the past two-and-a-half years.
The treacherous activity – sometimes known as “scutting” – involves a person holding onto the outside of a train or tram as it moves between stations.
Irish Rail logged 27 incidents on its services between January 2020 and March of this year. There were six cases in 2020 at a time when transport services were significantly impacted by the pandemic, 18 cases in 2021, and three in the first quarter of this year.
A database of the incidents discloses that all 27 cases took place on either the Dart service or on the Northern or Western commuter lines serving Dublin. There were multiple instances around Killiney Station on the Dart line with further cases reported at Monkstown, Shankill, Dun Laoghaire, and Glenageary.
On the other commuter lines, there were incidents of train surfing logged at Leixlip and Kilcock in Co. Kildare, and at Coolmine in West Dublin.
The National Transport Authority (NTA) said there had been 26 cases of attempted tram surfing aboard Dublin’s Luas service since the beginning of 2020.
One of the most disastrous cases of surfing took place on a Luas service where a teenager suffered life-changing injuries after falling from a moving tram. The then-13-year-old was left with serious injuries after the incident in 2010, with a court case ending with her receiving a settlement of €550,000.
The High Court was told at the time that placing metal strips to prevent gripping between the door and body of the light rail trams had helped as a deterrent.
Irish Rail has previously said that it is a requirement in new vehicle specifications for manufacturers to tailor their design to “prevent or minimise risk”. “For example, we will reduce ledges or handholds to make it difficult to ‘grab on’. Most of our doorsteps are covered," it said.
