Two arrests have been made during a British Transport Police (BTP) and Network Rail operation after a series of items were thrown on the railway line in Hadley Wood, Hertfordshire.
On 10 occasions between November 2022 and March 2023, items including shopping trolleys, a pram, and a clothes horse were thrown or placed on the tracks in Hadley Wood, with trains striking the objects in four instances.
BTP officers, supported by Network Rail staff, deployed on an intelligence-led operation on the railway line near Hadley Wood station at 11pm on 4 April.
A 24-year-old man was arrested at the location during the operation, and a second man, aged 26, was arrested at an address in Barnet on 5 April – both on suspicion endangering safety on the railway.
TheY have since been released from police custody on conditional bail pending further enquiries.
BTP Sergeant, Rehan Ahmad, said: “Obstructing the railway not only causes severe delays to services, but puts the lives of passengers and rail staff at risk.
“Everyone has the right to a safe, disruption-free journey, and reckless behaviour like throwing objects onto the line threatens this right.
“If you witness an incident of this nature, please report it to us either by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40 – we take these reports very seriously and will always take action.”
Sam MacDougall, Operations Director for Network Rail’s East Coast route, said: “It’s testament to the hard work of both the British Transport Police and Network Rail that these arrests have been made.
“This type of thoughtless behaviour is incredibly dangerous, and causes needless and completely avoidable delays for passengers. We’d urge anyone who sees any type of suspicious behaviour on the railway to report it to the British Transport Police.”
