A RAIL passenger could face prosecution after he jumped on to the back of a moving train and hung on for six minutes before falling on to the tracks.Will Shropshire, from Long Melford, managed to cling on to the rear of the 8.

A RAIL passenger could face prosecution after he jumped on to the back of a moving train and hung on for six minutes before falling on to the tracks.

Will Shropshire, from Long Melford, managed to cling on to the rear of the 8.33pm train from Marks Tey to Sudbury after he slipped past station staff and clambered near to the engine's buffers.

The train, which was carrying a group of his friends, was pulling away from the station when he made the jump.

But he fell off the carriage shortly before it arrived at the Chappel and Wakes Colne Station, which is the first stop on the 19-minute journey.

He was taken to hospital suffering from bruising to his upper leg, but escaped the incident without serious injury.

British Transport Police said last night the 24-year-old, who is a member of the Sudbury Cricket Club, would be questioned about the incident, and could face criminal charges for his actions.

Spokesman Simon Lubin said: “This was a very silly thing to do, and was very dangerous. This man was lucky he was not badly injured, and the incident could have been a lot worse. This matter is now under investigation and could lead to prosecution for a by-law offence or trespassing, which could mean a fine of up to £1,000.”

Mr Shropshire told police he was using the toilet at Marks Tey Railway Station, and when he returned to the platform the train had already pulled away.

Before falling off the train - which was travelling at around 40 or 50mph - Mr Shropshire is believed to have answered his mobile phone to pals who were inside the carriage.

A second phone call made to Mr Shropshire revealed he had fallen off the train, and was attempting to walk along the tracks towards the station. A crew from the Essex Ambulance Service attended the scene at just before 8.45pm on Thursday, and took Mr Shropshire to the Colchester General Hospital where he was yesterday still recovering from his injuries.

Jonathan Denby, head of corporate affairs for train operator One, said station staff had tried to stop Mr Shropshire from getting on the back on the train at Marks Tey.

“This person's actions were incredibly dangerous, and could have resulted in fatal consequences,” he said.

“This was a totally irresponsible act, which put not only him at risk, but potentially other people as well. We cannot stress how hazardous this was - he could have fallen in-between the tracks and the train - and his injuries could have been so much worse.” He added the train driver and carriage staff had been unaware of the incident at the time it was taking place.

Mr Shropshire's family were unavailable for comment last night.

lisa.cleverdon@eadt.co.uk