VANDALS have left ScotRail bosses with a £60,000 clean up bill after tagging trains with graffiti.
Staff have been forced to remove 142 pieces of illegal artwork after carriages were defaced with spray paint and permanent markers.
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Pictures obtained by the Scottish Sun on Sunday show trains have been hit with a range of chrome bombings, tags and cartoon characters.
They include football-related designs, one mocking the late Queen and a whole carriage covered by the so-called “head shot squad”.
But train operators and cops have warned that the vandals risk their life in addition to wasting resource and the time of commuters and staff.
David Lister, ScotRail’s safety, engineering and sustainability director, said: “Vandalism of any kind has no place on Scotland’s railway.
“Incidents of graffiti take up valuable cleaning time unnecessarily and those committing it put themselves at risk by trespassing on the railway.
“We continue to work with British Transport Police to clamp down on unacceptable behaviour and would ask our customers to contact BTP if they see anything suspicious.”
Details, released under FOI laws, show trains being targeted in the Yoker and Corkerhill areas of Glasgow as well as Motherwell, Dundee and Largs, in Ayrshire.
ScotRail insisted security measures are place at depots and stations to limit unauthorised access.
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But carriages which are cleaned have to be taken out of service, impacting services and leading to delays for commuters.
Workers tasked with cleaning the mess are forced to use chemical solutions which bites into the paint to make removal easier.
Those involved in the removal of graffiti wear suitable PPE such as masks, eyewear, disposable overalls and gloves.
Cops have also warned that vandals who target trains put their lives at risk following the death of well-known graffiti artist was killed at a railway line.
Grant Hamilton, 29, known as Mode, died at Dumbreck railway station in Glasgow in December 2018.
He was pronounced dead at the scene after sustaining injuries believed to be caused by electrocution.
A British Transport spokeswoman said: “Graffiti is not a victimless crime and it goes far beyond just making trains look unsightly.
“It ensures carriages need to be taken out of service and cleaned, which leads to less trains on the railway and ultimately delays, frustrated passengers and high bills for the rail industry.
“These offenders also put their own lives at risk which is a key concern.
“Breaking into rail yards or trespassing on the railway is extremely dangerous, and ignorance of this fact can have life-changing or deadly consequences.
“We’ll continue to target this crime type and ensure those we arrest face the consequences.”
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