Expectations of graffiti being removed when reported

[Citybreak1]

My local railway station has had graffiti down the wall to the tracks I reported it to Network rail and they said manage expectations as they may only remove it if offensive?

I had this issue with my local station and it was removed very poorly but I reported it again and it was cleaned property. It’s on a local road near housing so council won’t deal with it as it’s part of railway? Some of them are offensive slogans but not sure if they will remove them?

I guess I could contact my local councillor if not?

 

[Brightonboy]

I won't comment on lineside graffiti but I have made a number of rail trips recently, mostly using Thameslink but a couple of legs on Southern and EMR.

Invariably, the toilets on the Thameslink services were dingy and very heavily graffitied. For a service that connects 2 major airports they were a majorly uninviting welcome to the UK.

I get it that it is difficult to prevent graffiti occurring on DOO services, but the state of the toilets must discourage some people, especially families, from travelling and it would be interesting to see the trade offs and cost comparisons in £ of 'policing' the trains, cleaning the trains more thoroughly/more often and the missed revenue of lost custom.

 

[Russel]

I won't comment on lineside graffiti but I have made a number of rail trips recently, mostly using Thameslink but a couple of legs on Southern and EMR. Invariably, the toilets on the Thameslink services were dingy and very heavily graffiti'd. For a service that connects 2 major airports they were a majorly uninviting welcome to the UK. I get it that it is difficult to prevent graffiti occurring on DOO services but the state of the toilets must discourage some people, especially families, from travelling and it would be interesting to see the trade offs and cost comparisons in £ of 'policing' the trains, cleaning the trains more thoroughly/more often and the missed revenue of lost custom.

Toilet graffiti seems to be spreading, I've been on a couple of new LNWR 730/2s that have had remnants of removed graffiti in the toilet as well as 730/1's on the Cross-City in a similar condition, though they could have been done when operating out of Euston.

Why these didn't come delivered with the vinyl coverings the walls of the 350 toilets had is strange, hopefully they get added at some point.

 

[whoosh]

With regards to the Thameslink 700s - the 8 car ones seem to more readily attract graffiti. In particular the toilets. Perhaps it's the clientele out towards Sevenoaks or Rainham?
I recently stumbled across one that had had vinyls placed on the toilet walls a deterrent. Great and all that, but the ceiling had been graffitied!

 

[yorkie]

I get it that it is difficult to prevent graffiti occurring on DOO services, ...

The method of operation of the train isn't relevant.

What's needed is a visible staff presence; this is not only possible by having a traditional Guard, but can also be achieved by having a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) on ScotRail, Customer Experience Ambassador on Lumo, On Board Manager (OBM) on Southeastern High Speed, On Board Supervisor (OBS) on GTR Southern, etc.

Indeed you are more likely to see a visible staff presence on such trains than on TPE services, and even some Northern services on an evening or if you are in the front set of a non-gangway train.

I'm also not aware that London Overground has a graffiti problem on its trains, despite all their trains being DOO, which is perhaps due to the stations all being well staffed.

But, for sure, running a railway with no visible staff presence on trains or stations (regardless of whether such staff do exist or not) is a very bad idea, regardless of how the trains are operated.

 

[deltic]

The method of operation of the train isn't relevant.

What's needed is a visible staff presence; this is not only possible by having a traditional Guard, but can also be achieved by having a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) on ScotRail, Customer Experience Ambassador on Lumo, On Board Manager (OBM) on Southeastern High Speed, On Board Supervisor (OBS) on GTR Southern, etc.

Indeed you are more likely to see a visible staff presence on such trains than on TPE services, and even some Northern services on an evening or if you are in the front set of a non-gangway train.

I'm also not aware that London Overground has a graffiti problem on its trains, despite all their trains being DOO, which is perhaps due to the stations all being well staffed.

But, for sure, running a railway with no visible staff presence on trains or stations (regardless of whether such staff do exist or not) is a very bad idea, regardless of how the trains are operated.

London Overground trains dont have toilets and have far more internal visibility. Not sure having staff on board is going to prevent graffiti in toilets unless staff are going to check them after everytime they are used.

We seem to go in phases with graffiti, at one time it was endemic and then a big drive was put in place to remove it and not put trains into service until they had been cleaned and now it seems on the rise again.

At least we are not as bad as Belgium where even locos are often covered and Paris seems far worse than London

 

[jon0844]

700s seem to be getting etched windows again. Now, there is a sacrificial film on the glass but there still needs to be time to take a train out of service to change it - and there seem to be a shortage of trains which means they're probably running for a long time before being cleaned.

The roll out of the toilet vinyls (and ideally cleaning the ceilings at the same time) seems to be taking ages, as well as the removal of the egress glass in favour of stickers (because on some services the whole train will have them smashed in one go).

 

[Chriso]

GTR really do seem to take an age doing anything

 

[thomalex]

Should be national policy that graffiti in stations at least is removed

 

[Javelin_55]

700s seem to be getting etched windows again. Now, there is a sacrificial film on the glass but there still needs to be time to take a train out of service to change it - and there seem to be a shortage of trains which means they're probably running for a long time before being cleaned.

The roll out of the toilet vinyls (and ideally cleaning the ceilings at the same time) seems to be taking ages, as well as the removal of the egress glass in favour of stickers (because on some services the whole train will have them smashed in one go).

The toilet vinyl rollout is achingly slow. As far as I'm aware only about two trains per week are stopped for long enough to have some of the toilets wrapped, but if something goes wrong and those trains are needed, that obviously takes priority. I've seen one train go out with only one toilet wrapped out of five.

As for the egress stickers, I believe they're still in a trial period with only a few units taking part until further notice.

 

[norbitonflyer]

With regards to the Thameslink 700s - the 8 car ones seem to more readily attract graffiti. In particular the toilets. Perhaps it's the clientele out towards Sevenoaks or Rainham?

Or the Sutton Loop

 

[D6130]

At least we are not as bad as Belgium where even locos are often covered and Paris seems far worse than London

....or indeed Italy - where, of course, graffiti was invented!

 

[BazingaTribe]

At least we are not as bad as Belgium where even locos are often covered and Paris seems far worse than London

Yup. Stockholm was also bad; I expected better. The general difference between Belgium and the Netherlands was also quite stark, with Maastricht almost ludicrously clean compared to Liege or Aachen in the same general Limburg region. I dunno, I felt a bit awkward there it was so clean.

At least I felt slightly better coming home; although airports are generally kept cleaner and there's less opportunity for vandalism, Gatwick was a mess in so many other ways and it made me ashamed to be British. Heathrow T5 is getting it right.

 

[ExRes]

Should be national policy that graffiti in stations at least is removed

Why though? our entire infrastructure is covered by mindless graffiti, walk down many high streets or visit shopping centres and you'll find the same vandalism wherever you go, there's only one answer and that's to catch the scum and make them pay the full cost of removing their brainless scrawling

 

[BazingaTribe]

Why though? our entire infrastructure is covered by mindless graffiti, walk down many high streets or visit shopping centres and you'll find the same vandalism wherever you go, there's only one answer and that's to catch the scum and make them pay the full cost of removing their brainless scrawling

Or make them do it themselves.

 

[londonbridge]

Why though? our entire infrastructure is covered by mindless graffiti, walk down many high streets or visit shopping centres and you'll find the same vandalism wherever you go, there's only one answer and that's to catch the scum and make them pay the full cost of removing their brainless scrawling

Remember last year I was walking along Shoreditch High Street and saw a couple of kids spraying a wall, middle of the afternoon in broad daylight, people just walking past doing nothing to challenge them.

 

[daccer]

I was in London last week and I thought that it was quite noticeable at how many times graffiti has been painted over by the lineside and had been re-daubed on top of the coverup. I guess its a long term battle that will never be won until there is a general societal change.

I think that the fact we still try and keep a lid on it and manage it does reflect well on NR. It is basically an impossible job to eradicate it and it would be easy to just leave it alone and let it proliferate, as in many European countries.

 

[slowroad]

I was in London last week and I thought that it was quite noticeable at how many times graffiti has been painted over by the lineside and had been redaubed on top of the coverup. I guess its a long term battle that will never be won until there is a general societal change. I think that the fact we still try and keep a lid on it and manage it does reflect well on NR. It is basically an impossible job to eradicate it and it would be easy to just leave it alone and let it proliferate, as in many European countries.

It’s a very small number of people making a very big mess. What’s needed is intensive detection and rapidly escalating punishment. Start off with the most high profile offender - Banksy.

 

[deltic]

It’s a very small number of people making a very big mess. What’s needed is intensive detection and rapidly escalating punishment. Start off with the most high profile offender - Banksy.

Most of the tags are known to BTP, the challenge is proving the individual actually did it unless caught in the act.

 

[xdbjacx]

It’s a very small number of people making a very big mess. What’s needed is intensive detection and rapidly escalating punishment. Start off with the most high profile offender - Banksy.

I’m not convinced that Banksy belongs in the same category as the mindless individuals who deface and damage trains for fun, but you may of course feel differently.

What would you recommend as the sequence of rapidly escalating punishments, just out of interest?

 

[Bevan Price]

Remember last year I was walking along Shoreditch High Street and saw a couple of kids spraying a wall, middle of the afternoon in broad daylight, people just walking past doing nothing to challenge them.

It can be dangerous to challenge them - you never know who might have a weapon.

 

[Merle Haggard]

Perhaps too of-topic, but it does seem that the graffiti vandals have a particularly bitter grudge against railway infrastructure.

For instance, I drive on the M1 from Junction 15 Northwards; there are a number of over-bridges between there and J16, but the only one that is attacked by graffiti vandals is the one carrying the railway line into Northampton . It presumably requires some desperation to access compared to a road, not to mention the danger posed by passing trains - I assume that they are standing on the track side of the guiders and leaning over.

Driving on the M45 there is the ornate heading of tunnel ventilation shaft to the North - I'm not sure if it's for Kilsby or for Crick tunnels. It's in the middle of countryside remote from roads, but has been attacked badly. I can see that attacking a station or train will have lots of 'views', but that doesn't apply in this case.

It's also odd that the same two names appear side by side all over the country (I won't name them & give them kudos) - even odder, the pair are usually marked in the same colour paint and in the same handwriting, with a slope suggesting using the left hand.

 

[slowroad]

I’m not convinced that Banksy belongs in the same category as the mindless individuals who deface and damage trains for fun, but you may of course feel differently.

What would you recommend as the sequence of rapidly escalating punishments, just out of interest?

Fine (if first offence and single instance), suspended sentence (second offence and/or multiple instances), prison (long term for further offence). Damages in all cases.

(On Banksy we’ll have to disagree - I would be particularly harsh on him coz I don’t like his stuff.)

 

[Trackman]

Fine (if first offence and single instance), suspended sentence (second offence and/or multiple instances), prison (long term for further offence). Damages in all cases.

What are the sentencing guidelines these days?

 

[The exile]

Should be national policy that graffiti in stations at least is removed

Preferably by squads of people caught applying it.

 

[styles]

Remember last year I was walking along Shoreditch High Street and saw a couple of kids spraying a wall, middle of the afternoon in broad daylight, people just walking past doing nothing to challenge them.

Did you challenge them?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Mar 2026 ==

I’m not convinced that Banksy belongs in the same category as the mindless individuals who deface and damage trains for fun, but you may of course feel differently.

Well, quite. I actually, perhaps controversially, don't have a problem with graffiti, certainly on brick walls etc, providing it is somewhat artistic (which tagging is not, imo). It doesn't have to be Banksy, but it needs to not just be the word "Tizer" in the same style in a hundred different locations.

 

[londonbridge]

Did you challenge them?

No, I was on the opposite side of the road, but people were walking straight past within feet of them. I suppose I could have called 101 but it was also a combination of surprise at it happening in broad daylight when the street was busy and no one making any attempt to intervene.

Strictly speaking graffiti could be classed as amounting to criminal damage, I never understand why Banksy is treated as some sort of hero or “street artist” instead of enquires being made to trace and arrest him.

 

[philthetube]

Fine (if first offence and single instance), suspended sentence (second offence and/or multiple instances), prison (long term for further offence). Damages in all cases.

(On Banksy we’ll have to disagree - I would be particularly harsh on him coz I don’t like his stuff.)

1 week Graffiti cleaning for first offence, 6 months for second and five years for third, similar sentences should also be dished out to fly tippers.

 

[Skiddaw]

It’s a very small number of people making a very big mess. What’s needed is intensive detection and rapidly escalating punishment. Start off with the most high profile offender - Banksy.

I love Banksy.

I'm probably going to get shot down in flames for admitting it but I rather enjoy 'clever' graffiti. It can be both artistic and amusing.

 

[Iskra]

I love Banksy.

I'm probably going to get shot down in flames for admitting it but I rather enjoy 'clever' graffiti. It can be both artistic and amusing.

Agreed, when it’s witty or particularly artistic as seen on many wagons, it makes them more interesting and engaging.

I did however have to report a particularly disturbing piece of graffiti on a bridge in Castleford, and I was very impressed by the response from Network Rail who promptly sorted it out.