Vandal hands themselves in after police investigate railway damages

Heritage equipment was thrown from the platform. PICTURE: TANYA STEELE

by Tanya Steele

An alleged vandal who damaged rail luggage trolleys and equipment at the Yarra Glen Railway station has turned themselves in at Monbulk Police Station.

Police were investigating the incident which involved a person pushing two railway trolleys over the platform edge and onto the tracks, between the hours of 2.45pm and 5pm on Thursday 26 January.

Volunteers at Yarra Valley Railway discovered the equipment on the tracks of the heritage railway and reported the matter to the Yarra Glen Police Station.

Yarra Valley Railway (YVR) President Brett Morton is frustrated by the damage done at the station and said the person also threw a workbench and a mile marker onto the tracks.

“If it was not tied down, it was fair game,” Mr Morton said.

On security camera footage captured, the male had appeared unsteady and was filmed walking up and down the platform before throwing objects onto the tracks.

The YVR is a volunteer and community run operation that has been working to restore the line between Yarra Glen and Healesville.

Yarra Glen Senior Constable Barry Roberts said it’s upsetting to see damages done to a volunteer run site.

“It’s hard to see damage being done at the Yarra Glen station because the volunteers put so much effort into running it,” he said.

The man has been released on bail and police are waiting for further information from the Yarra Valley Railway.