GRAFFITI vandals are running the risk of fines up to $5000 after defacing a prominent and historic railway asset between Sydney and Melbourne.
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One message of particular concern scrawled on the Murray River rail bridge between Albury and Wodonga is jumping into the fluctuating water levels below and risking major injury.
The graffiti removal will be fast-tracked in this instance.
"Graffiti is an immensely frustrating issue across our entire network, and there is no easy solution to preventing it," an ARTC spokesperson said.
"Commonly, graffiti that occurs on ARTC rail infrastructure, such as the rail bridge in this case, also involves trespass offences, given that it is illegal to enter the railway corridor unless you are walking or driving across a level crossing.
"Individuals caught trespassing are reported to police and can face significant consequences, including fines of up to $5000.
"Not only is trespassing illegal, it is also a safety risk.
"We encourage people to report (to police) any suspicious activity they see occurring anywhere along the rail corridor which might assist us in preventing acts of vandalism or other illegal activity.
"Due to the offensive nature of the comments in this case, ARTC has prioritised the removal of this graffiti."
The bridge was built in the 1880s and the seven overhead "sway brace frames" will need to be raised 1.9m for Inland Rail under a similar program carried out in the early 1990s to provide clearance for single-stack freight trains.
Also, the redundant broad gauge track is earmarked for removal with the standard gauge track to be slightly re-aligned to achieve the horizontal clearance requirements for the trains which will be up to 1.8km long in some instances when Inland Rail commences in 2025.
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