Vandals are causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to ticket vending machines across the rail network in Wales.
Transport for Wales, which operates the Wales & Borders rail franchise, has called on the public to report any instances of vandalism they witness to the British Transport Police. The Welsh Government’s transport company, which took over running of the franchise from KeolisAmey last year and whose services also include cross-border routes into England, said that cost of repair to damaged machines since September 2020, has been more than £64,000.
Vending machines at 24 separate locations have been damaged. It said the worst affected train station is Pencoed in Bridgend, where six separate vandalism incidents have been reported. Machines have also been damaged at Barry Docks, Gilfach Fargoed, Garth and Cwmbach stations.
As a result of the anti social behaviour Transport for Wales has invested in four cameras at two undisclosed stations, which has already recorded seven acts of vandalism.
In a tweet Transport for Wales said: “Our ticket vending machines have been vandalised at 24 separate locations across our network since September 2020, resulting in £64,200 in repairs. Please report any vandalism to British Transport Police anonymously - see it, say, it, sorted!"
Transport for Wales has also seen damaged reported to defibrillators at stations. It comes as passenger numbers on the Wales & Borders franchise continue to recover from the pandemic, having at one stage during the pandemic had fallen to less than 10% than pre-Covid.
Transport for Wales said the overall passenger numbers were now on average at around 70% of pre-Covid levels, with leisure travel, particularly at weekends, back to where they were before the pandemic.
