Media centre

Tuesday 12 Apr 2022

Over 400 graffiti-smeared sites cleared and painted across London and the South East as part of Network Rail’s £2m project to clean up the railway

Region & Route:

Southern

Network Rail teams across the country have been working to freshen up Britain's railway in the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year with more than £2m of funding being used to target the removal of graffiti.

Network Rail’s regional teams identified problem areas and used this funding to dispatch teams to remove spray-painted tags, also applying anti-graffiti paint where possible to deter people from targeting the same areas in future. More than 450 sites have been cleared of graffiti in the South East including high-profile sites such as Hungerford Bridge – outside Charing Cross - and the Bermondsey Dive Under in London.

Network Rail Southern Region’s routes tackled:

• 196 sites in Kent*, with another 5 planned,
• 110 sites in Sussex**, with another 7 to go
• 153 sites in Wessex***, with another 4 planned

Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines said:  “We have a wonderful and historic railway in Britain with engineering marvels spanning back to Victorian times, but all too often it is blighted by unsightly graffiti and vandalism which is an eyesore for our passengers and railway neighbours. 

“Our teams have been working extremely hard to remove graffiti and to make the railway more inviting. This is no easy task and cannot be done overnight but I know that this investment will make a real difference to communities and our passengers across the country”

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps said: “Everyone should feel safe and comfortable when travelling on our railways and graffiti isn’t just a criminal offence or eyesore, it can also lead to passengers feeling that railways are unkept or a slightly dangerous way to travel.

 “I’ve asked Network Rail to tackle this problem so passengers can travel safely and enjoy their journey and the views our railways offer.”

In Kent route alone, more than 32,255 metres of graffiti has been cleared this year and Network Rail is working with the British Transport Police to stop the problems before they start. A team working in Crayford, South East London, recently arrested three people suspected of being connected to a high profile tag. Up until the arrests there were 80 attacks in the area, but since then - nothing.

In addition, Network Rail is working in partnership with Canterbury City Council’s graffiti team, with the results including a mural painted in Stream Walk, Whitstable, at a site previously well-coated in tags (see picture)

In Wessex route, sites cleared included the classic 1930s building at Chessington South - see pictures.

To report people vandalising the railway or acting suspiciously, contact the British Transport Police via text on 61016 or by phoning 0800 40 50 40.