Australia blows the whistle on moving house by rail

[SYDNEY] Moving house? Don't let the train take the strain - that's the message from Australian rail chiefs after publishing footage of passengers lugging furniture and fridges on busy commuter services.

The slapstick images taken in Brisbane show a man labouring to trolley a refrigerator into a lift and down to a platform.

He manages to wheel the large item onto a train, before the footage shows him backing it out again as security officers intervene and issue a fine.

"Today's #TrainEtiquetteTuesday is a simple one: please book a removalist," Queensland Rail tweeted with the images Tuesday.

In a second video, a man takes a three-seater sofa off a train and moves it end over end along the platform and into a lift, before someone arrives with a shopping trolley to help it on its way.

Queensland Rail said the video was a "light-hearted reminder" that oversized items were not allowed on trains, with potential fines of up to A$252 (US$265.73).

"The last thing we want is for a customer to injure themselves or others losing control of an oversized item, or blocking the path of others and making them step over the yellow (safety) line," a spokesperson told AFP.

"Our tip would be to save a few dollars and book a removalist or phone a friend."

AFP