Large scooter thrown at train in spate of attacks

East Midlands Railway (EMR) is appealing for information after trains were damaged by a "large scooter" and a rock thrown from a bridge.

The train operator said the "reckless acts" near Loughborough resulted in "train damage, delays and serious risk to lives".

Together, they impacted 21 trains, and resulted in 214 minutes of delays for passengers in February.

EMR described the vandalism as "incredibly dangerous crimes that put customers and staff at serious risk of injury or worse".

In one case, EMR said a "large scooter" was "thrown off" Allsops Bridge, "damaging" a train as it went by.

About two weeks later, builders' waste and masonry were dropped from the same bridge on to the track, and a rock was also thrown at a train.

One day later, EMR said, a "large object" was thrown and, this time, smashed a train windscreen.

James Coxon, from EMR, said the operator saw a "peak in incidents" during the school holidays, and that the attacks on the railway were part of "a growing trend" in certain parts.

He added: "There are certain hotspots around our network, that we know about. And every now and then we have certain flair ups...and unfortunately this is one of them."

Mr Coxon said the attacks would also have a financial implication for EMR as well as causing delays, with the cost of repairs and customer refunds "in the thousands".

Both EMR and Network Rail said they were working with British Transport Police (BTP) to prevent incidents and catch those responsible.

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