Vandalism

Vandalism can range from damaging railway equipment, to throwing missiles at train cab windows, to obstructing the track. Vandalism is the main cause of train delays and cancellations and accounts for about half of all reportable railway incidents. These incidents are of serious concern because they can lead to damage, injury and/or derailment.

The number of train incidents due to malicious action fell by 31.1% from 2008 to 2009. Running into obstructions, fires on trains and missile damage all fell by over 20%. The figures for the past five years are below. 

Figures of vandalism: 2005-2009

	Collisions	Derailments	Running into obstructions	Fires in trains	Missile damage	Total
2005	1	3	98	96	254	452
2006	0	0	108	67	263	438
2007	0	1	99	51	224	375
2008	1	0	79	25	204	309
2009	1	0	39	10	163	213

Last updated: 29 December 2010