British Transport Police Urged to Take Action After Memorial Train Defaced
A South Western Railway (SWR) train featuring a special livery dedicated to railway workers lost during the Covid-19 pandemic has been vandalised, prompting calls for urgent cleaning and stronger action against those responsible.
The incident was flagged on X (formerly Twitter) by user Anthony Furnival, who expressed outrage at the damage done to train 450067, calling it a “desecration of a memorial.”
In his post, Furnival wrote:
“450067 has been vandalised – as the livery is a tribute to your colleagues lost in Covid, could you prioritise its cleaning, as this has quite literally desecrated a memorial. Maybe @BTP could take stronger actions in these circumstances?”
SWR and BTP Respond
SWR quickly acknowledged the report, confirming that their fleet team had been alerted to prioritise the train’s cleaning. A response from @SW_Help read:
“Thank you, Anthony. I have reported this to our fleet team so that they can get this cleaned.”
Meanwhile, the British Transport Police (BTP) encouraged those who witnessed the vandalism to report it, stating:
“We’re sorry you’ve witnessed this. If you haven’t reported this, we urge you to do so by either texting us at 61016 or by calling 0800 405040.”
However, Furnival pushed back, noting that SWR should determine whether to take the matter further, given that the train serves as a memorial for frontline staff who died during the pandemic.
Public Reaction and Call for Stronger Action
Many social media users were dismayed by the lack of respect shown in the act of vandalism, with some calling for harsher penalties for defacing memorials. Others urged BTP to step up patrols at depots and stations to prevent future incidents.
While SWR has committed to cleaning the train, there is no confirmation yet on whether they will pursue further action against those responsible.
This incident underscores ongoing concerns about vandalism on the rail network and the need for better enforcement to protect public memorials and tributes.
