Inside fight against train vandals costing taxpayers $1m per year

Brazen vandals are targeting trains almost every day, often while they are idling at station platforms, with more police officers and technology brought in to take them on. Here’s a look behind the scenes. VIDEO

A piece of graffiti was sprayed onto a train almost every day on average in the past year, with brazen vandals tagging carriages while they are idling at station platforms.

These criminals are costing Queensland Rail and taxpayers $1 million annually to clean and there has been a 17 per cent increase in external graffiti on trains in the last financial year.

In addition to Queensland Rail’s thousands of security cameras, Queensland police announced last month an extra 16 officers will join the Railway Squad over the next four years.

According to Queensland Rail, in the 2022-23 financial year, there were 350 incidents of external graffiti on trains. There were 299 graffiti incidents in the preceding financial year.

The graffiti can range from small indistinct scribble, to larger detailed murals.

Affected carriages are brought to the dedicated cleaning bay at the Bowen Hills railyard.

This large-scale graffiti mural, captured in August 2023, was sprayed on a train carriage while it was idling at a South East Queensland station. Photo: Supplied.

Police have made six vandalism arrests in three months across the rail network – all men.

Three were charged at Redbank on June 3, two were charged from separate incidents at Shorncliffe on July 31 and August 8, and another was charged at Northgate on August 31.

Queensland Rail senior security manager Drew Brock said graffiti is not only costly, but incredibly dangerous.

“Queensland Rail works in partnership with the Queensland Police Service Railway Squad, including information sharing and operations targeting graffiti vandals,” Mr Brock said.

“These activities are supported by a range of security technologies, including more than 12,000 cameras for the detection, identification, and investigation of offences.

“We also have a rapid removal program to remove graffiti as soon as practical from our trains to reduce the motivation to offend.”

Queensland Rail Rollingstock presentation attendants Tor Sadler and Kelly Johnson are on the front lines cleaning train carriages at a dedicated graffiti removal bay. Photo: Supplied.

There are 86 Railway Squad officers – including some on trail bikes patrolling rail corridors – who work with Queensland Rail officers and canine teams, as well as private security guards.

Across the past financial year, Railway Squad officers issued 869 fines and 579 warning notices for anti-social and dangerous behaviour.

In September last year, Gold Coast teenager Jack Gibson-Burrell pleaded guilty in Southport Magistrates Court to 26 charges including graffiti, assault, and interfering with a railway.

The charges stemmed from him being caught vandalising a train carriage at Park Road station on May 12, 2022 by a QR security guard. The 19-year-old sprayed the 61-year-old guard in the face with paint when confronted.

He was placed on two years’ probation, ordered he pay $5000 in restitution and complete 60 hours of graffiti removal.