Network Rail has deployed teams at London Euston and Liverpool to remove graffiti visible to residents and passengers.
At London Euston special teams from Network Rail and HS2 have cleared graffiti hotspots in Harlesden, Queens Park, Wembley Central and Euston so far in 2021.
The continued clean-up on Network Rail’s West Coast South route supports the Transport Secretary’s, Grant Shapps, commitment to improving the look and feel of the railway for passengers and people living beside it.
Network Rail spends £3.5m every year cleaning and disposing of offensive graffiti. Trains leave Euston every three minutes powered by overhead wires carrying 25,000 volts of electricity making it a dangerous place to be for passengers. This also consequently means removing the graffiti is dangerous for maintenance teams, who can only access the track when trains aren’t running.
In Liverpool, a special Network Rail clean-up team had to remove graffiti on the Mossley Hill footbridge after reports came through from concerned members of the public.
The new bridge was only rebuilt in Easter 2020 as part of a major £980,000 Great North Rail Project investment.
Allan Gibbs-Monaghan, Infrastructure Delivery Manager at Network Rail, said: “It’s frustrating that only very recently just shy of a million pounds was invested replacing the footbridge in Mossley Hill and now it has fallen victim to this needless vandalism.
“We thank members of the public who reported this, who like us want the railway to be a clean, welcoming environment for people who travel on it and live and work near it.
"Our message to graffiti vandals is that the railway is not your canvas, and clearing up this criminal damage is a huge waste of taxpayers’ money which could be better spent on improving passenger journeys."
James Dean, Network Rail’s West Coast South route director, said: “Graffiti makes the railway look untidy for neighbours and passengers. We want the railway to be a clean, welcoming environment for people who travel on it and live and work near it. That’s why our teams have been out on track working hard to remove it from the railway.”
Mark Recce, Head of Delivery unit for Euston On Network Works, HS2 Ltd, said: “We are happy to support Network Rail to remove rail side graffiti around our worksite in Euston to improve the area for passengers and local communities. HS2 is committed to creating a clean, reliable and safe rail network, not only for passengers in the future but also those who use it now.”
Images: Network Rail
