Vandalism and trespass exacerbating lockdown harm to lines
SEVERAL heritage railways have been left counting the cost after being targeted by vandals during the Covid- 19 closure period.
Whereas many lines have launched emergency appeals to compensate for the lack of revenue during lockdown, the attacks have compounded their financial problems.
The Chin nor & Princes Risborough Railway has been hit by a surge of trespass and vandalism - literally from end- to- end on the four- mile line.
The starter signal wire at Chin nor station has been cut three times - probably with industrial cutters - and an attempt made to uproot a supporting stake. The lineside fence has been repeatedly vandalised at this location as well.
Security measures
Hi- definition CCTV cameras were installed in late May in a bid to identify the perpetrators for prosecution - at the site where the BBC Silent Witness police drama was filmed last year!
At Keens Lane crossing, a quarter of a mile from Chinnor, security padlocks were removed and disappeared, while a further halfmile towards Princes Risborough, the lineside fencing by Wainhill crossing was damaged. At Thame Junction, some permanent way ballast wagons were decorated with graffiti.
Local walkers were leaving adjacent public footpaths and used the halfmile of track as a short cut walking route back to Chin nor. One neighbour half- a- mile west of Chin nor station has insisted that it is acceptable to trim his hedge from the railway line, while another insisted the railway does not own the land and so he can walk about as he likes!
Further along the line, 2 ½ miles from Chin nor, the level crossing gates at a user worked crossing were obstructed by hardcore being laid to enable vehicles to more easily cross the line but prevented the gate to be closed. This issue was eventually amicably resolved with the user.
Illegal track walkers have a left a housebrick and inexplicably an orange by the Chin nor starting signal.
The railway embarked on a social media anti- trespass campaign which was picked up and broadcast by the BBC in mid- May. A track patroller asked a trespasser who was photographed as to why he was walking along the side of the line - and said he always did and in any case, no trains were running.
Between May 2- 13, following a series of trespass incidents, Swindon & Cricklade Railway volunteers found that fencing at Taw Valley Halt had been ripped up and signs smashed.
Further incidents
The Midland Railway- Butterley was targeted twice in a week by vandals. On May 27, a group of youngsters raided the carriage which serves as a waiting room at Swanwick Junction, ripped out seats, etched graffiti on the tables and used the space as a toilet.
Next day, windows were smashed in one of the service coaches.
A staff member took a photograph of a group off our youths and handed it to police.
The railway launched an appeal at www. midlandrailway- butterley. co. uk/ donations/ to cover the loss of income during lockdown, but now faces having to find extra money on top to repair the damage.
The South Devon Railway has also reported trespass incidents, including damage to gates and fences.
Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway general manager Charles Spencer reiterated warnings by his counterparts of other heritage lines that trespassers are risking their lives, because works trains are often run, even during closure.
Meanwhile, on the' big railway; newly- released figures from Network Rail showed that trespassers disrupted vital passenger and freight services 1024 times during the first month of the pandemic lockdown. Network Rail's head of public and passenger safety for Network Rail Allan Spence said:" These figures are disappointing. Trespass is often seen as a young person problem but less than a fifth of the trespass incidents recorded in lockdown involved youngsters. Adults are far more likely to be the ones putting themselves in harm's way:'