A man in St. Pölten survived clinging to the outside of a high-speed train after stepping off for a cigarette break on Saturday, Austrian rail operator ÖBB reported.

According to ÖBB spokesperson Herbert Hofer, the incident occurred in St. Pölten, west of Vienna, when the man stepped off the train for a cigarette break and it departed without him.

The Railjet service, travelling from Zurich to the Austrian capital, left St. Pölten on schedule but arrived in Vienna seven minutes late.

Citing a passenger on board, Austrian tabloid Heute reported that the man jumped into the gap between two carriages after the train began moving. Hofer described the act as highly irresponsible, stressing that such behaviour usually ends in tragedy.

The 24-year-old Algerian reportedly knocked on the windows to draw attention, prompting the driver to activate the emergency brake. Train staff then helped him on board.

Upon arrival at Vienna's Meidling station, the man was taken into police custody, Heute added.

In January, a similar case was reported in Germany, when a 40-year-old Hungarian survived after holding on to a high-speed train for 32 kilometres, also after stepping off for a cigarette break.