A man who pushed a car in front of a train at an Adelaide railway station after days of heavy drug use has been jailed for more than three years.

Key points: Joel Anthony Altschwager was sentenced in the District Court

Joel Anthony Altschwager was sentenced in the District Court Damage to the train was estimated to be more than $100,000

Damage to the train was estimated to be more than $100,000 Altschwager gave a fake name to police when he was arrested

This week District Court Judge Jack Costello sentenced Joel Anthony Altschwager, 24, to three years and six months in jail with a non-parole period of one year and nine months for endangering life and theft.

In August 2018, Altschwager and another person stole a car by smashing a window with a golf club before pushing it onto the train tracks at Lonsdale Railway Station, south of Adelaide.

He faced a maximum term of 15 years in jail.

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"Subsequently, a train carrying 30-40 passengers collided with the vehicle," Judge Costello said during sentencing.

"Fortunately for all concerned, the driver of the train, upon noticing the vehicle on the tracks, immediately activated the emergency brakes.

"Prior to avoiding the brakes, the train had been travelling at 100-110 kilometres per hour and still travelled some 400 metres before coming to a stop.

"In the process of coming to that stop, the train collided with the vehicle which you had pushed onto the tracks, which in turn caused the train to lift off the tracks.

"Thankfully, no one was injured in the collision."

Judge Costello said Adelaide Metro estimated the damage to the train was more than $100,000, while the stolen car had a damage bill of $3,000.

Culprit had not slept for four days

The court was told Altschwager had been using drugs heavily and had not slept for four days in the lead-up to the offending.

When Altschwager was arrested, he gave police a fake name and refused to answer questions.

"Although you did not apply any specific forethought to your actions, or indeed the consequences of those actions, you nevertheless accept full responsibility for your offending," Judge Costello said.

He said Altschwager was aware that his actions had the potential to cause serious injury or death.

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"Your offence might be better characterised as spontaneous rather than as being malicious or the product of considered pre-planning," he said.

"In this respect, I consider your offending to be less serious in nature than a number of other offences of its type where the offence was accompanied by malice and carried out against a background of planning."

In a psychological report, it was revealed that Altschwager started to abuse drugs after the death of his daughter in 2014.

"After her death it could be said that your life more or less fell apart," Judge Costello said.

"In turn, the drugs caused you to engage in self-destructive [and] aggressive behaviour."

The court was told Altschwager had stopped using drugs since his arrest.