Coronavirus: Man appears to bolt out of last train from Melbourne to Sydney

A man was escorted away by police this morning after he bolted out of the last train from Melbourne to Sydney’s Central station.

Police have ushered a man out of Sydney’s Central station after he bolted out of the last inbound train from Melbourne.

Passengers on-board the final XPT train to Sydney from the virus-stricken Victorian capital were racing the clock to beat the state-border lockdown.

The man who tried to bolt was picked up by police and made to have his temperature checked before providing his details to health authorities.

A man is led away by police after attempting to run from the XPT at Sydney's Central Station after the last train arrived from Melbourne as the NSW-Victoria border is locked down. Picture: Sydney Pead

Police surround the man who tried to do a runner. Picture: Sydney Pead

As part of health protocols, arrivals were taken into waiting rooms at Central station to be screened and have their temperature checked before being allowed to leave.

Sydney Trains said the service crossed the NSW border just after 11pm on Monday, meaning returned NSW residents would not have to isolate for 14 days.

Speaking to NCA NewsWire, Melbourne resident who was on the train Bill Kelsall said he was aware this was the final service between the two cities, but had booked his ticket “some time ago” and was travelling to Sydney for work.

He was one of 75 passengers on-board the train — the maximum it could carry to allow for social distancing - and wasn’t concerned about taking the 11-hour journey with others.

The last XPT train arrives from Melbourne as the NSW-Victorian border is locked down. Picture: NCA NewsWire

The last XPT train from Melbourne has arrived in Sydney before the NSW-Vic border closure. Picture: Today Show/Channel 9

“I’ve been taking this train for a while now since the COVID thing started and I’m perfectly comfortable. I have a little cabin to myself,” he said.

International students Nicky McCreath, from Scotland, and Wojtek Piotrowski, from Poland, also cut their journey fine.

The pair had been studying in Melbourne for a semester and were travelling to Sydney today to continue their studies in NSW.

Staff at Sydney's Central Station as the last XPT train arrives from Melbourne. Picture: NCA NewsWire

“We booked already, so we were always going to leave Victoria today but it was just lucky,” Ms McCreath told NCA NewsWire.

It is likely the XPT service between Melbourne and Sydney will not run again for at least a month.

The NSW border is already closed to Melbourne residents and will close to regional Victorians from midnight on Tuesday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed.

“We’ve imposed an extra restriction on Melburnians so nobody from Melbourne or its surrounds can cross the border today,” Ms Berejiklian told the Today show.

“Today will just allow regional Victorians to cross the border and we appreciate there are people who might live on either side who want to get back home and base themselves in their home state.”