Eye On Wales: Monday 14 May
Going off the rails
Monday 14 May at 6.32pm
(repeated Sunday 20 May at 6.31am)
How safe and secure are our railways for both the passengers and the staff who work on them?
A recent incident at a Rhondda railway station, when a train was disabled by a large gang of youths, leaving the driver, guard, three security guards and terrified passengers effectively stranded for more than an hour, has highlighted the problems of anti-social behaviour and crime which are rife across our railways.
The traumatised guard, who had a fire extinguisher let off in his face and a bottle thrown at him, narrowly missing his head, has been off work since the incident - which is now being investigated by British Transport Police.
Increased security measures have been brought in over the past year, including security guards on some trains, CCTV on trains and at stations, and recruitment of community support officers to boost transport police numbers.
But, train operator Arriva has logged a steep increase in incidents of anti-social behaviour, crime and disorder on its network in the early part of this year, compared to last year.
They're warning that unless things improve, they may have to cancel some services on the notorious stretch of track between Pontypridd and Treherbert.
Tonight's Eye on Wales takes to the trains to investigate, and hears from rail staff, passengers and those tasked with protecting them, about the challenges they're facing.
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