Rail vandals are placing people's lives at risk

Ron McAulay, who was appointed Network Rail's regional director for Scotland last week, said rail vandalism was "mindless and dangerous".

He said rail crime in Scotland was costing �10m each year.

Incidents in the past week include a train hitting a metal scaffolding pole and another colliding with a quad bike.

Mr McAulay said that between 3-7 November there were four serious acts of vandalism which could have resulted in crashes or serious injury.

Approximately 100,000 minutes are lost due to delays resulting from rail crime in Scotland Ron McAulay Network Rail

He said: "People who commit these offences cause the biggest single risk to safety on the rail network.

"Approximately 100,000 minutes are lost due to delays resulting from rail crime in Scotland.

"Individuals need to seriously examine their own consciences and think about the affect of their actions on the lives of others.

"I would appeal to everyone who has a stake in the railways to help us and the British Transport Police (BTP) to get crime off our railways."

Last year's Black Track rail crime initiative helped reduce the level of rail crime in Scotland by 17%.

Objects placed on tracks trigger train delays

But Network Rail said that 3,100 incidents of rail crime caused delays on the rail network during that time.

In the past week, three trains using the Glasgow-Edinburgh line were delayed after a coping stone was placed deliberately on the line near Falkirk Station.

Elsewhere, a fire in a bin at Broughty Ferry triggered a chain of events which led to a train passing through an open level crossing.

Ronnie Mellis, British Transport Police chief inspector, said that attacks on the rail network were not a game and could have disastrous consequences.

Railway dangers

He said: "Those involved not only risk causing injury to passengers and staff, they put their own lives in jeopardy.

"I would appeal to every parent in Scotland to speak to their sons and daughters about the dangers of the railway and to be aware, as far as possible, where their children are playing.

"I really don't wish to for any of our officers to have to have to visit any family to advise them their son or daughter has been killed or seriously injured because they have not heeded the warning."