UK: Reward offered for rail crash vandals
Posted: 22 Mar 2010, 20:22
Reward offered for Staffordshire rail crash vandals
Page last updated at 08:13 GMT, Monday, 22 March 2010
BBC
A £10,000 reward has been offered by Network Rail to find the vandals who left concrete blocks and rubber tyres in the path of trains in Staffordshire.
Vandals targeted tracks close to Wilnecote station, near Tamworth, on Thursday and Saturday risking the lives of everyone on board, police said.
The 2309 GMT service from Birmingham New Street to Nottingham hit debris at 90mph (144kph), though no-one was hurt.
Two more trains crashed into rubber tyres on Saturday but no-one was hurt.
More than 250 CrossCountry services were delayed or cancelled on Friday and Saturday as a result of the crashes, including all services between Birmingham and Nottingham.
Driver shock
Network Rail and CrossCountry trains have offered to give the reward to anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest and conviction.
Det Ch Insp John Sidebottom, of British Transport Police, said: "It is imperative that we trace those responsible for causing these incidents.
"Thankfully no-one was seriously injured... but the reality is that we could have been left dealing with mass casualties or even, in a worst case scenario, fatalities."
The Birmingham New Street to Nottingham service, carrying 50 passengers, crashed into the debris at about 2330 GMT on Thursday.
The driver was able to stop the train after crashing into the objects that included concrete blocks, wooden pallets and sandbags.
'Senseless vandalism'
No-one was injured but the driver was left extremely shaken and the train was badly damaged and taken out of service.
At 0555 GMT on Saturday two other CrossCountry trains crashed into 30 tyres left on the line between the platforms at Wilnecote Station.
One of the trains, bound for Birmingham New Street from a depot in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, was travelling at more than 100mph (160kph) when it crashed into the debris, smashing the windscreen and damaging the engine and suspension, police said.
No passengers were on board but one of the drivers had to be treated for shock.
Chris Rowley, Network Rail's area general manager, said: "This sort of senseless vandalism puts the lives and safety of innocent people at risk. It also causes a huge amount of disruption for passengers as well as thousands of pounds of damage.
"We are committed to tackling trespass and vandalism on the railway and hope by offering this reward we will not only catch those involved, but enable passengers and train crews to continue using the railway safely."
Page last updated at 08:13 GMT, Monday, 22 March 2010
BBC
A £10,000 reward has been offered by Network Rail to find the vandals who left concrete blocks and rubber tyres in the path of trains in Staffordshire.
Vandals targeted tracks close to Wilnecote station, near Tamworth, on Thursday and Saturday risking the lives of everyone on board, police said.
The 2309 GMT service from Birmingham New Street to Nottingham hit debris at 90mph (144kph), though no-one was hurt.
Two more trains crashed into rubber tyres on Saturday but no-one was hurt.
More than 250 CrossCountry services were delayed or cancelled on Friday and Saturday as a result of the crashes, including all services between Birmingham and Nottingham.
Driver shock
Network Rail and CrossCountry trains have offered to give the reward to anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest and conviction.
Det Ch Insp John Sidebottom, of British Transport Police, said: "It is imperative that we trace those responsible for causing these incidents.
"Thankfully no-one was seriously injured... but the reality is that we could have been left dealing with mass casualties or even, in a worst case scenario, fatalities."
The Birmingham New Street to Nottingham service, carrying 50 passengers, crashed into the debris at about 2330 GMT on Thursday.
The driver was able to stop the train after crashing into the objects that included concrete blocks, wooden pallets and sandbags.
'Senseless vandalism'
No-one was injured but the driver was left extremely shaken and the train was badly damaged and taken out of service.
At 0555 GMT on Saturday two other CrossCountry trains crashed into 30 tyres left on the line between the platforms at Wilnecote Station.
One of the trains, bound for Birmingham New Street from a depot in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, was travelling at more than 100mph (160kph) when it crashed into the debris, smashing the windscreen and damaging the engine and suspension, police said.
No passengers were on board but one of the drivers had to be treated for shock.
Chris Rowley, Network Rail's area general manager, said: "This sort of senseless vandalism puts the lives and safety of innocent people at risk. It also causes a huge amount of disruption for passengers as well as thousands of pounds of damage.
"We are committed to tackling trespass and vandalism on the railway and hope by offering this reward we will not only catch those involved, but enable passengers and train crews to continue using the railway safely."