How did that aussie survive having a train pass over him?

Question

earlier answers to questions as to whether you could survive this or not suggest clearance is so low you have no chance. So how did that aussie guy who fell asleep between the tracks survive? are aussie trains very different to british ones?

Answer 1

d**n lucky and he had no idea what was happening.

Answer 2

Apparently there was a dip in the particular area he was lying in between the tracks. He did end up in hospital. Very lucky to survive.

Answer 3

Miracles do happen, or he escaped by the luck of the draw.  Either way, he was fortunate.

People don't seem to realize a close encounter with a train doesn't always kill a person in an automobile or a pedestrian when struck.  Some survivors will tell you, however, that there are things and circumstances worse than death.

Answer 4

I have heard of this happening more than once.

The rail is perhpas 8 to 10" tall, and the minimum distance for equipment above the rail is 2 1/2" so if you are very very thin, lay very flat and do not move, you would have a chance.

Most of the time it is someone passed out drunk that it happens to.

Answer 5

Unless there is some sort of recess in the 4ft (railway jargon for the area between the running rails), nobody would survive a train passing directly over then.

HOGHEAD, be under no illusion here, trains kill. I've seen 1st hand what happens to a human body if it gets in the way of a moving train.

Answer 6

Australian Trains often have a larger ground clearance than UK trains, due to width of gauge and less restrictions on height. As some of the others have said also he was  lucky there was a hollow where he slept, mind you a bit of a wake up call.