Media centre

Friday 13 Jan 2006

RAIL VANDALS PUT LIVES AT RISK

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Rail bosses have condemned vandals after a train hit a concrete post deliberately placed on the high-speed West Coast Main Line. The freight train hit the 4.5ft block at Gowkthrapple in the Pather area of Wishaw. The line is heavily used by passenger trains which travel at speeds of around 100mph on this stretch. David Simpson, Route Director, said: “The action of these vandals could easily have resulted in death and the derailment of the train. I cannot stress enough how dangerous it is to place objects of any kind on railway lines. “We are working closely with the British Transport Police and would urge anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them or phone the confidential Crimestoppers line.” The incident happened at around 8.15pm on Wednesday 11 January. Fortunately, nobody was injured. It is thought the concrete block, which was reinforced with steel, was a fence post. Mr Simpson added: “The results of this incident could have been devastating. I ask residents in the area to help us stop the people who put lives at risk. If you see anyone trespassing on the tracks, please contact the police. “Parents can also help by warning their children of the dangers of going near the railway lines.” Witnesses can contact the British Transport Police on freephone 0800 40 50 40 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.