Shenfield to Liverpool Street train cancelled due to offensive graffiti
A Shenfield to Liverpool Street train was cancelled on Monday morning due to offensive graffiti being spotted on its side.
The train, due to run through Romford at 11.08am, was instead cleaned in Ilford by Greater Anglia staff.
A spokesman for the British Transport Police (BTP) said: “The costs of graffiti are substantial for the railway industry in terms of repairs and clean-up, and can leave permanent scars on the infrastructure.
“These financial costs have to be borne by someone, and that someone is ultimately the fare-paying passenger.
“Writing graffiti on the railway or elsewhere is not a harmless pastime, it is nothing more than unwanted damage that costs thousands of pounds to clean up and, as on this occasion, results in trains being taken out of service, impacting on passengers.”
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He added: “The railway is an extremely dangerous environment and the risks, even to trained staff, are always present and very real.
“By writing graffiti lineside, vandals place themselves at serious risk, with graffiti often discovered in places offering no refuge from approaching trains.
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“We will continue to work closely with train operating companies, Network Rail and other police forces to crack down on these criminal acts.”
A Greater Anglia spokesman apologised to passengers for the inconvenience caused.
It is believed that the train was vandalised sometime over the weekend.
Anyone with information about those responsible is urged to contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
