The first underground line of the New York City Subway opened in October 1904. Since then, there have been enough incidents connected to the impressive rail system to warrant several Wikipedia pages. Some are dedicated to accidents, while others list the various subway-related crimes. For example, in October 1965, 28-year-old Arthur Collins was murdered in front of his wife and child after defending passengers from a belligerent, intoxicated man. The list goes on.
With over 665 mainline track miles, it makes sense that a lot of things can go wrong, unchecked, or simply unnoticed. Sixty years after Collins died while protecting his fellow passengers, the bodies of two teenagers were discovered on top of an incoming J train at the Marcy Avenue stop in Brooklyn on the morning of Oct. 4, 2025. Authorities say they were subway surfing. Here’s what we know about it.
What is subway surfing?
Subway surfing, or train surfing, is not a new phenomenon and didn’t get its start in New York City. It’s exactly as it sounds. People hop on the outside of a train or other railcar either to avoid paying, because it’s crowded, or as a form of entertainment. According to PBS, homeless people were frequent train hoppers during the Great Depression. At its height, more than 250,000 teenagers traveled around America via an illegal train ride.
In the documentary Riding the Rails, producers Michael Uys and Lexy Lovell placed ads in newspapers in the hopes of finding former rail riders who risked death in order to keep living. They heard from about 3,000 people who were in their 70s and 80s, who wanted to relive that time, for better or worse. “Some hadn’t spoken of their experiences in sixty years,” said Ulys. “They were just kids then and when they look back, it’s with a blend of nostalgia and pain.”…