A brand new Underground train has been targeted by vandals as it moves to Tyneside, raising concerns about repeated acts of destruction. A teenager who was excited to see the new Underground train with his father has filmed the vandalised train in Hertfordshire.
Photos shared online show the Swiss-made train, which was seen in North London during its delivery process, covered in various colourful graffiti on one side. The sad part is that the train has not even reached the Nexus infrastructure yet.
Vandals Strike Again During Delivery
This is not the first time that new Underground trains have been vandalised – a similar incident occurred on one of the first Underground trains to be delivered to the UK in 2023. These repeated incidents are causing great frustration for transport authorities and local people alike.
Sophie, 16, from Hertfordshire, filmed the latest damage while train watching with her dad. She said the train looked brand new and was devastated to see it vandalised so quickly. “It’s rare to see a train like this,” she said. “It just felt like a waste to see it vandalised so quickly. Some people just ruin good things for no reason.”
Nexus and Network Rail Take Action Against Vandalism
Paul Welford, director of major projects at Nexus, confirmed the graffiti incident occurred before the company officially took responsibility for the train. Welford also stressed that the vandalism occurred outside of Nexus premises. “This type of behaviour has unfortunately become commonplace,” Welford said, adding that they proactively deal with such incidents to prevent service delays or safety issues.
Nexus will remove the graffiti from the train before it begins network testing. In the meantime, Network Rail is working closely with British Transport Police to identify those responsible. The force is also appealing for help and reporting from members of the public with any information that could help identify the perpetrators.
“This type of vandalism causes unnecessary delays,” a Network Rail spokesman said. SözcüHe added that repair work takes time and passenger safety must be ensured at every stage.
The new fleet, which has been built with a total investment of £460 million, includes 46 high-performance Metro trains. Despite previous setbacks, Nexus plans to have the entire fleet, which will replace the older model trains, back in service by the end of next year. This latest vandalism poses an additional challenge to the smooth rollout of the new fleet.
