A train strike in Melbourne and the tragic image of a drowned Syrian toddler have prompted Melburnians to donate thousands of dollars in train fares to refugees.
As trains returned to normal peak hour service on Friday after a four-hour strike between 10am and 2pm, the everydayhero crowd-funding page had reached $13,824.
The campaign, started by Melbourne father James Wright, asked people to donate their myki fare to the UN Refugee Agency during the train strike.
He said it was a way for Melburnians to channel the frustration of the train strike into something good.
"Melburnians. Today, we saw one of the most confronting images ever seen. The picture of a toddler not much older than my youngest daughter, washed ashore after drowning trying to escape Syria," the crowd-funding page says.
Many of the 338 people who donated much more than their daily fare, with one donation of $525.
"In honor (sic) of a beautiful boy," Rob Stallard said along with his $52.50.
"Hope you raise a tonne to help those dealing with unimaginable challenge and hardship," wrote Caroline De Vuono.
Donations can be made through the everydayhero page or unrefugees.org.au/donateyourtrainfare.
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