Police believe man fell off freight train

A seriously injured man discovered near a railway in far North Queensland is believed to have been illegally riding a freight train when he fell from it, east of Charters Towers.

Police were contacted just after 3pm on June 11 with reports the 18-year-old Queenton man had been discovered about a kilometre west of a level crossing on School Street.

The man was not a passenger or crew member on the train, which was travelling from Townsville to Charters Towers.

Police believe the man fell from the train, injuring himself in the process.

He was airlifted to Townsville Hospital with severe leg injuries.

The Forensic Crash Unit was investigating the circumstances around his discovery.