THE Mid-Hants Watercress Line is stepping up the pressure in its campaign to resolve the problem of potentially-dangerous missiles being hurled onto the track from an overhead bridge. The preserved steam line has already had to pick up hefty costs in terms of damage done to rolling stock and equipment, but the real fear is, that if thrown at a passing train, an on-target missile could prove fatal. According to Mid-Hants Railway plc managing director Colin Chambers, the problem began some 18 months ago with people throwing debris from the bridge in Mount Pleasant Road, Alton. And it has become progressively worse. The first major incident happened at around this time last year when a steam locomotive, bound for the main line at Alton, rammed into a supermarket trolley, damaging the train's expensive electronic equipment. Any train working the main line now has to be fitted with a TPWS (Train Protection Warning System) which fits under the front wheels and tells the driver what the signals ahead are saying. The trolley, which had been lobbed onto the line from Mount Pleasant bridge, wiped out the TPWS aerials, causing around £400 worth of damage. The railway has also had to fork out another £300 for a cage to protect sensitive signalling equipment from flying objects. "The incidents nearly always occur under that bridge. The area seems to have become a dumping ground for supermarket trolleys, household rubbish, old furniture, estate agents' boards and old newspapers. We are picking up trolleys and debris on a daily basis. "People seem to use the line as a playground - some people use the track as a footpath but they should realise they are trespassing," said Mr Chambers. Just last month thieves stole a mobility scooter from an elderly man living in nearby Grove Road and drove it up Mount Pleasant Road before hurling it onto the track. The vehicle was completely destroyed by the fall, robbing the owner of his mobility and threatening to de-rail the next train to travel the line. The most recent incident occurred overnight last Tuesday when six supermarket trolleys were thrown onto the line and then reinforced with breeze blocks to make a barrier. "Fortunately the first train through on Wednesday morning was a diesel loco. The driver spotted the blockage and managed to stop in time but it could have caused a nasty accident," said Mr Chambers. His great fear is that one day somebody will throw something off the bridge during the day and hit a passing train. "If the driver has his head out of the window at the time it could kill him," said the MD. He believes, however, that most problems arise when supermarket trolleys are left overnight in Mount Pleasant car park. "The kids just wheel them up the road and chuck them over the bridge. Sometimes the trolleys come from Somerfield and Tesco but mainly they are from Sainsbury's," said Mr Chambers. who has contacted the supermarkets to talk to them about the problem. He has also been liaising with Hampshire county highways department over what can be done to make the bridge less of a target. The county is said to be costing up a six- foot fence to make the parapet too high to throw things over. A statement from Hampshire County Council confirms that the bridge is actually owned by the Mid-Hants Railway, but that highway engineers are working with the company to find a solution to the problem. "We will be talking to a steel work fabricator to find out what is viable. The fence will have to be climb-proof and vandal-proof otherwise there will be little point in doing it," said an HCC spokesman, adding that there is, as yet, no indication of cost. In his discussions with the supermarkets, Mr Chambers has suggested that all trolleys should be retrieved at night. And while Somerfield trolleys are already coin-operated and not as likely to be abandoned in the car park, Sainsbury's are not, so he has asked if they could also become coin operated. Speaking to The Herald, Alton Sainsbury manager Daryl Copper said he was equally concerned about the situation and was keen to help the Mid-Hants Railway find a solution. He had instructed his staff to carry out a late night sweep on the Mount Pleasant car park for any stray trolleys but, as far as coin operated trolleys were concerned, the store would first have to carry out a survey to determine customer response. "Customers would probably view it as an unwelcome inconvenience to the shopping experience," said Mr Copper, who nonetheless admitted that the company was losing money with trolleys costing £90 a time to replace. He also pointed out that since Sainsbury's was expecting to extend its Alton premises next year, with a resulting modification to the car park, it could herald the introduction of magnetically lockable trolleys, which only operate within a controlled area. This should put a stop to trolley abuse. "We are very committed to working with all parties concerned to find a solution to this problem," said Mr Copper. According to Colin Chambers, the Mid-Hants Railway has just installed a CCTV security system at Alton Station and already has CCTV cameras in place at Mount Pleasant Bridge to monitor passing trains. His message is clear - under the Light Railways Act it is a criminal offence to trespass on railway property. "Anyone caught trespassing will be prosecuted. Trespass carries a maximum fine of £1,000, but it will be more than that if you cause an accident."
