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Police believe an unlit footbridge killed two men who were riding on top of a freight wagon.
The bodies of Cole Higginson, 25, of Amberley and 23-year-old Nick Upritchard, of Rangiora, were discovered on the top of the wagon in a Christchurch rail yard at about 3am yesterday.
Police believe they climbed aboard the moving train in North Canterbury.
Detective Senior Sergeant John Rae says police have established a footbridge just south of the Blighs Rd crossing in Bryndwr is what the men hit.
He says the footbridge is not lit at night and it is likely the victims would never have seen it coming.
Police are still investigating the background of the tragedy but the case is being referred to the coroner.
Cole Higginson was the son of former All Blacks lock Graeme Higginson.
Former All Blacks coach Alex Wyllie, a friend of the Higginson family, told The Press newspaper the family was in shock.
Graeme Higginson played six All Blacks tests between 1980 and 1983 and once captained the side in a non-test game.
Police believe the pair who died may simply have been trying to get a free lift to Christchurch when they were struck and killed by a structure overhanging the railway.
Detective Senior Sergeant John Rae, of Hornby CIB, said police had talked to the families to try to find out where the pair got on the south-bound train.
The men were found lying on a tarpaulin covering the top of the carriage and had suffered severe head injuries.
Mr Rae expected the pair may have been sitting or lying, as they would probably have been knocked off the train if standing.
He said said he had fielded calls from the public yesterday from people who knew others who rode atop trains.
Police and rail companies have condemned the practice, which Toll Rail likened to "Russian Roulette", but said it was not as rare as people might think.
Toll spokeswoman Sue Foley said the forklift driver who found the men's bodies was "incredibly shocked" and had been offered counselling.
"Obviously people watch television and see people hop on and off trains and think it's reality," she said.
Rail network company Ontrack said it hoped the sky-rocketing cost of fuel was not encouraging people to put their safety at risk.
Kevin Ramshaw, of Ontrack, said the rail network company regularly received reports from the public of people being on freight trains.
Ontrack staff could recall three instances in the past six months where people were found on the trains.
"It has come as a surprise that it is a little more common than we expected," Mr Ramshaw said.
"I don't know there is a pattern. There are people that do it for a dare. There are people who feel it is a cheap way to get about."
Standard unleaded 91 octane petrol surged to over $2.12 a litre yesterday.
"I don't think we have got to the stage yet where, like in the American Depression, people relied on [freight trains] as a form of cheap transport," Mr Ramshaw said.
"But who knows, that may be becoming more of a factor. If we are approaching it, we would certainly urge people to think very, very carefully because they are putting their lives at risk."
Brian Cronin, of the Rail and Maritime Transport Union, said that while people travelling on top of trains might be routine in countries such as India, in New Zealand it was very different.
"What people don't appreciate is that when you get on top of a wagon in New Zealand, most of them aren't very high. There are very small tunnels and maybe they are lying down, but that tunnel will get you."
Rail workers were frequently presented with horrific sights after people were killed on railways.
"Going through a tunnel, you can imagine what will happen there. You are crushed. The people that find you are almost scraping you off. That's what people are actually having to deal with," Mr Cronin said.
- With NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB
