A video is going viral showing a gang of masked vandals bringing a Melbourne train to a grinding halt to spray-paint the outside of a carriage while passengers watched from inside.
The brazen early-morning ambush saw ten offenders, wearing dark clothing and face coverings, swarm the Alphington train platform at around 5.10am on Wednesday.
In footage shared online by journalist Jacqui Felgate, the group can be seen covering the side of a Metro train with massive silver-and-black block lettering.
The vandals reportedly pulled the emergency door release, which stops the train and prevents it from leaving the station.
In a strange twist, the group reportedly was “polite” during the act, addressing the frustrated commuters trapped on board.
According to witness accounts, the masked group actually apologised for the inconvenience they were causing.
“Sorry, everyone, we’ll only be about 10 minutes,” the offenders reportedly told the stunned passengers, according to Felgate.
Some passengers reportedly tried to confront them, but they were too “well organised and planned”.
The emergency release forced the train driver to leave the cabin and walk the length of the platform to manually reset the system.
But the offenders had clearly timed their escape to perfection, fleeing the scene just as the driver arrived to find out what had happened.
By the time the train was moving again and eventually reached Flinders Street station, the damage was done, with a massive graffiti piece covering almost the entire length of one carriage.
Victoria Police have confirmed they are investigating the morning’s events, but said that the group had vanished long before officers could arrive.
“Police responded to reports of vandalism in Alphington on 13 May,” a police spokesperson told news.com.au.
“It is believed around 10 offenders dressed in dark clothing graffitied a train at Alphington Train Station about 5.10am.”
“The offenders and the train left before police arrived on scene.”
A Metro Trains spokesperson condemned the incident to news.com.au.
“Graffiti has no place on our rail network, and we are working with Victoria Police to find those responsible,” the spokesperson said.
It is understood that the train was terminated and removed from service after the incident, which delayed passengers by approximately 15 minutes.
Felgate’s post received hundreds of reactions, with many Melburnians expressing both disbelief and a sense of impressiveness.
“To be fair, for a 10-minute job, that’s pretty impressive,” said one.
Another added: “As a mother of two, I’m so glad they used their manners!”
A third person noted that the system is far too easy to exploit, saying, “Welcome to Melbourne! Do whatever you like, there are no consequences anyway!!”
“When will Melbourne actually be great again?” a fourth mused.
Metro spends more than $10 million every year to clean up and remove graffiti and vandalism throughout the network.
The transport network’s dedicated Network Security and Surveillance team, which works in partnership with Victoria Police’s Transit Division, tracks vandals, catalogues tags, and provides intelligence, using more than 14,000 CCTV cameras across the network.
Fines for graffiti on trains in Melbourne range from $200 to $25,000, with jail terms of up to two years.
Police are urging anyone who witnessed the incident, has footage, or has any information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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