What was expected to be a fond farewell of the Hitachi Electric Train was today marred by an attack on the train by vandals near Rushall Railway Station in Melbourne’s inner Northern Suburbs.

The train organised by Metro Trains and ElecRail was returning to Flinders Street Railway Station from a timetabled visit to South Morang when the train was stopped near Rushall on the approach to Clifton Hill. Once stopped a vandal emerged from trackside peppercorn trees and began “tagging” the train.

Tagging is the action of spray painting an object (usually a train) with a logo or symbol of reference to oneself.

The action was met with an angry response from train passengers many of whom were rail enthusiasts and historians.

Railpage also understands the vandals tampered with the train operationally causing delays into Clifton Hill Railway Station and also at Essendon.

Police were called to the scene and the train was stopped at Clifton Hill where the vandals were apprehended.

Reports to Railpage also state there were various passengers on the train who took issue with the vandal’s actions and through open windows poured cold drink over the vandal and also shouted abuse.

Railpage also understands from eyewitness reports and from forum discussions on this site the passengers became irate with some acting inappropriately towards the vandals and other passengers.