Kids try to derail train for internet glory

Kids try to derail train for internet glory

26.09.2008

SCHOOL-AGED vandals are damaging and delaying Victoria`s regional trains at a rate of almost three a week, including one attempt to derail a train and broadcast the event on the internet.

V/Line incident reports for the first six months of this year show scores of youths are throwing rocks, placing objects on the tracks, and playing chicken with trains, and V/Line says the incidents peak in school holidays.

The report, released to the Opposition under Freedom of Information, has prompted calls for more Transit Police.

But V/Line says there`s little they can do against the random attacks, perpetrated by offenders aged as young as 10.

The Public Transport Safety Victoria log of incidents shows on May 9 this year police were called after a group of youths were spotted on the tracks at Toolamba, south of Shepparton.

"Unidentified youths (were) allegedly placing objects on the tracks/points at Toolamba attempting to derail main line train, to place event on internet," the report states.

The track was cleared before any train proceeded, but the offenders were not caught.

V/Line spokesman Daniel Moloney said while a few repeat rock throwers had been caught in the Geelong area, it was hard to predict patterns of behaviour. "Part of our problem is catching these people, because it can be so random," he said.

"The level of stupidity is just incredible . . . because while it would take fair force to break a window, the potential for damage, and harm to passengers, is really quite disastrous."

Opposition public transport spokesman Terry Mulder said a greater police presence was needed.

"Labor`s silence while the number of Transit Police has dropped below 200 is leading youths to run riot on Victoria`s rail tracks," Mr Mulder said.

"The train travels at 95 kilometres through Toolamba - the consequences of a passenger train derailing on a set of points could be very serious."

V/Line is currently trialling authorised officer patrols on some of the company`s services, mainly to deal with drunken behaviour on Sunbury and Melton trains.

But vandalism and attacks from outside were more difficult to deal with, Mr Moloney said.

"You can`t expect a whole row of police officers along a train line," he said.

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