Transport for London is battling a significant rise in graffiti across the Central and Bakerloo lines, deploying 24/7 cleaning teams amid shortages of rolling stock and limited surveillance, reflecting a wider challenge of urban vandalism and infrastructure resilience.
Transport for London (TfL) is currently engaged in an intense and ongoing battle to remove thousands of pieces of graffiti from the Central and Bakerloo lines of the London Underground, reflecting a significant resurgence of vandalism that has drawn growing concern from both the public and transport officials. TfL has disclosed that it is undertaking 24/7 cleaning operations to tackle an unprecedented volume of graffiti, averaging more than 2,000 tags weekly on the Central line and over 1,000 on the Bakerloo line. This surge in vandalism has resulted in about 23,000 pieces being removed in just two months, which equates to roughly one piece every eleven minutes.
The rise in graffiti is being attributed to several complicating factors. One primary issue is the shortage of available trains for cleaning, stemming from both the aging nature of the fleets on these lines and ongoing upgrade programmes, particularly impacting the Central line. This scarcity of rolling stock means trains often cannot be withdrawn from service promptly after being vandalised without causing disruptions during peak hours—resulting in dirty or graffiti-covered carriages remaining in use. Additionally, the lack of onboard CCTV on both the Central and Bakerloo lines has made them more vulnerable targets for vandals, further complicating law enforcement efforts.
TfL officials have emphasized the scale and difficulty of the cleaning task, with the Intensive efforts featuring teams who employ a combination of powerful cleaning fluids—akin to paint strippers, but fire-resistant for tunnel safety—manual scrubbing, and power tools to strip away the extensive tagging. Cleaning a single tag can take anywhere from five minutes to over an hour, with teams sometimes facing over eight carriages per shift. The cleaning operation is physically demanding, especially amid the summer heat, requiring protective clothing and masks. About half of the Central line fleet has been cleaned to date, but the process is ongoing and resource-intensive.
The motivations behind these graffiti campaigns appear to be fuelled by an online graffiti subculture that sets challenges or "prizes" for tagging specific targets, including new train fleets. For instance, the new Piccadilly line trains were subjected to such attacks during transport from Austria to London. Vandals are described as a tight-knit and motivated community, who often carry out graffiti during passenger service hours, brazenly tagging train exteriors and interiors despite surveillance and security patrols. TfL has noted that these attacks often occur late at night and in less monitored siding areas, with graffiti artists typically using disguises such as baseball caps and face coverings, making identification difficult.
Attempts to counter the problem include not only the around-the-clock cleaning but also collaboration with British Transport Police to apprehend vandals. However, besides the immediate cleaning logistics, the wider challenge is one of capacity and infrastructure; the older fleets need replacement and upgrades to improve service reliability and allow effective removal and maintenance schedules without negatively impacting passengers.
TfL has stated that it is seeking investment to replace and upgrade trains to provide a higher quality transport network that meets Londoners' expectations. Officials also stressed that promptly removing graffiti is essential to prevent a snowball effect of more vandalism, which would otherwise damage the Tube’s brand and the public’s sense of safety. Maintaining clean trains is viewed as a crucial factor in deterring not only graffiti but other criminal activities.
In the meantime, TfL faces what has been likened to an endless task, reminiscent of the "mythical endless repainting of the Forth Rail Bridge," with thousands of graffiti pieces and repeat offences making it a continuous and exhausting fight. Public sentiment echoes the frustration, with many calling for stricter penalties and stronger enforcement to protect public spaces from repeated vandalism.
📌 Reference Map:
- Paragraph 1 – [1] (MyLondon), [2] (Evening Standard), [3] (BBC News)
- Paragraph 2 – [1] (MyLondon), [2] (Evening Standard), [3] (BBC News)
- Paragraph 3 – [5] (Evening Standard), [2] (Evening Standard)
- Paragraph 4 – [5] (Evening Standard), [1] (MyLondon)
- Paragraph 5 – [5] (Evening Standard), [2] (Evening Standard)
- Paragraph 6 – [5] (Evening Standard), [2] (Evening Standard), [3] (BBC News)
- Paragraph 7 – [5] (Evening Standard), [4] (BBC News)
- Paragraph 8 – [5] (Evening Standard), [2] (Evening Standard)
Source: Noah Wire Services
More on this
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https://www.mylondon.news/news/transport/two-london-underground-lines-tfl-32718022 - Please view link - unable to able to access data
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https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/tube-graffiti-epidemic-trains-cleaned-tfl-andy-lord-london-underground-b1232414.html - Transport for London (TfL) is addressing a significant increase in graffiti on the London Underground, particularly on the Central and Bakerloo lines. Over the past two months, approximately 23,000 pieces of graffiti have been removed, averaging one every 11 minutes. The Bakerloo line has seen over 1,000 tags removed weekly, while the Central line has over 2,000 removed each week. The surge in vandalism is partly attributed to the lack of onboard CCTV on these lines, making them more susceptible to graffiti attacks. TfL has implemented an accelerated cleaning programme, operating 24/7 to tackle the issue. However, the challenge is compounded by a shortage of trains on these lines, as many are being upgraded or are of older stock, limiting the ability to withdraw trains from service for cleaning without impacting service levels. The situation has led to increased concerns among passengers and calls for a zero-tolerance approach to vandalism. Additionally, the problem has been exacerbated by a shortage of trains on the Bakerloo and Central lines, two of the oldest fleets on the Underground. This means that trains cannot be taken out of service to be cleaned, as this would result in delays and congestion, especially during peak hours. A TfL spokesperson said: “We have deployed an accelerated cleaning programme in response to the specific increase in graffiti on the Central and Bakerloo lines. Teams are removing graffiti 24/7, and are currently removing more than 1,000 tags per week on the Bakerloo line and more than 2,000 on the Central line. We previously withdrew trains from service as soon as they had been vandalised, but with reduced availability due to ageing trains this isn’t always possible without impacting services. This is why we are working to secure investment in the Tube network, to replace and upgrade trains and ensure we can deliver the world-class transport network that Londoners and visitors deserve and expect.”
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https://feeds.bbci.co.uk/news/articles/c939ygryv5go - Transport for London (TfL) is grappling with a significant increase in graffiti on the Central and Bakerloo Tube lines, with about 3,000 pieces removed each week. The surge in vandalism is partly due to a reduced number of trains on the Central line, as some are being upgraded, and the Bakerloo line's older fleet, which has fewer trains. This shortage means trains are put back into service with graffiti, affecting the service timetable. At the Hainault Depot, the team has removed 23,000 pieces of graffiti in the past two months. TfL is working to address the issue, but the challenges persist due to the limited number of trains available for cleaning and the ongoing upgrades to the fleet. The problem has been exacerbated by a shortage of trains on the Bakerloo and Central lines – two of the oldest fleets on the Underground. This means that trains cannot be taken out of service to be cleaned, as this would result in delays and congestion, especially during peak hours. A TfL spokesperson said: “We have deployed an accelerated cleaning programme in response to the specific increase in graffiti on the Central and Bakerloo lines. Teams are removing graffiti 24/7, and are currently removing more than 1,000 tags per week on the Bakerloo line and more than 2,000 on the Central line. We previously withdrew trains from service as soon as they had been vandalised, but with reduced availability due to ageing trains this isn’t always possible without impacting services. This is why we are working to secure investment in the Tube network, to replace and upgrade trains and ensure we can deliver the world-class transport network that Londoners and visitors deserve and expect.”
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https://feeds.bbci.co.uk/news/articles/c62j12wp00jo - Reports of increased graffiti on Tube trains, particularly on the Central and Bakerloo lines, have prompted Londoners to complain to the transport authority. One passenger told Transport for London (TfL) that the Bakerloo line's carriages had become 'very dirty' and 'covered' in graffiti. In a Freedom of Information request, passengers asked what was being done to clean them. A TfL spokesperson has said they work to remove graffiti as quickly as they can, with 'offensive graffiti removed as a matter of urgency'. They added: 'Where graffiti cannot be removed easily, it is covered wherever possible and cleaned during engineering hours, in order to keep trains out on the network and minimise delays to our customers.' Earlier this month, TfL said its automatic train washer breaking down was partly to blame, but added that it had also seen an uptick in vandalism incidents.
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https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/tube-graffiti-epidemic-prizes-piccadilly-line-central-bakerloo-tfl-depot-cleaners-b1233624.html - The Tube graffiti epidemic is being partly driven by 'prizes' offered to the first person to vandalise key targets, The Standard can reveal. These included the first of the new fleet of Piccadilly line trains, which was spray-painted as it was being transported from Austria to west London last October. The Standard was told that an online community of graffiti vandals set each other challenges - with financial rewards on offer for the first to tag a target. Cleaners contracted by Transport for London are removing thousands of graffiti 'tags' a week, primarily on Central line and Bakerloo line trains. About 33,000 pieces of graffiti have been removed over the last two months – including 5,500 'repeat hits'. Richard Jones, director of asset performance delivery for London Underground, compared the challenge to the mythical endless task of repainting the Forth Rail Bridge in Edinburgh. There have been numerous cases where Tube trains have been cleaned and returned to service – only to be re-targeted within hours and have to be brought back into the depot. The graffiti artists are described as a 'tight community, very motivated and committed to their cause', who see spraying tags as a 'way of life' and who enjoy the 'notoriety' of the challenge. Challenges are set online and rivals compete to brand selected targets with their distinct identities. The Standard was given access to the London Underground’s Central line depot in Hainault to see the efforts being made by about 600 cleaners, working for TfL contractor ABM, to remove the tags. Cleaning fluid is applied by hand – or by large brushes to the huge pieces of graffiti painted on the exterior of many carriages – before being removed using power tools and elbow grease. The cleaning fluid – akin to a paint stripper - has to be fire-resistant, to prevent any fire risk when the trains are travelling through underground tunnels. Normally the spray paint can be removed without the train carriages needing to be repainted. This is because the exterior surfaces are covered in vinyl. However some graffiti has been found on the Tube’s 'sub-surface' trains, such as the Circle and District lines, that involves the use of acid, which 'eats straight through the paint'. The scale of the task in cleaning the Central and Bakerloo lines is magnified due to the summer heat. Cleaners clad in protective clothing and face masks face extreme temperatures. Dan Pincott, the ambience and performance manager for the Bakerloo, Central and Victoria lines, said: 'It can take from five minutes to an hour and a half to remove just one tag. We have got eight carriages to deal with in a shift with 10 people. It’s a very large undertaking. It’s very hot, very heavy work. It seems to have escalated in the last three or four months to a disproportionate level. We can be facing over 2,000 tags a week, if not more. We are working as hard as we can to get on top of it. Will it ever stop? That depends on the punishments and if we can deal with the people carrying out the attacks. If they carry on doing it at the rate they are doing it, we are going to be fighting all year.' The need to take trains out of service to remove the graffiti presents a logistical challenge to TfL, as this has to be done without impacting on normal service patterns. It also has a knock-on impact on the unrelated £500 million Central Line Improvement Programme – which is modernising every train in the fleet – and other work to replace damaged wheels. 'In terms of resources it’s quite draining,' one source said. British Transport Police is making efforts to catch the graffiti vandals. Train exteriors are being spray-painted overnight at depots and sidings, despite the presence of security guards, but the internal graffiti is being done more blatantly – often while other passengers are travelling. 'They’re doing this when the train is in service,' a TfL source said. 'People filming them rather than intervening. Any panel that is flat, they will have a go at.' A Central line train covered in graffiti at Hainault station. Ross Lydall. The Bakerloo and Central lines appear to have been targeted because neither has CCTV. However, the graffiti artists normally wear baseball caps and face coverings, making them difficult to identify. Mr Jones said many graffiti attacks happened later at night – including on the Night Tube – and at the extremes of the line. 'This sort of thing isn’t happening in zone one,' he said. 'We have seen CCTV images where a train has just gone into a reversing siding, they have leapt onto it, tagged it, and it has gone straight back into service.' Under its current multi-year contract, TfL is spending £750 million on the routine cleaning of the Underground. An unspecified amount of additional resources has been allocated to remove the graffiti, with cleaning continuing on a 24/7 basis. About half of the Central line fleet has been cleaned but it remains a 'continuous process' to remove the graffiti, with many train interiors currently covered in scrawls. 'The objective is to keep it under control,' Mr Jones said. 'For our brand, it’s damaging. For our customers, they don’t like it. It makes the Tube not feel as safe as it should do.' He added: 'We are working 24/7 to try to contain it and keep on top of it, and to make sure as many trains as possible go out in service in a clean condition.' Asked why TfL chose not to leave the graffiti in place, Mr Jones said: 'What we find is that if you don’t deal with it, it creates more graffiti, and then you just lose control. That is a place we do not want to go to. Graffiti inside trains makes them feel less safe, and it’s also a magnet for other criminal activity.'
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative reports a significant increase in graffiti on the Central and Bakerloo lines, with TfL removing over 3,000 tags weekly. This surge has been reported since April 2025, with the most recent reports from June 2025. ([standard.co.uk](https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/graffiti-underground-tube-vandalism-bakerloo-central-line-tfl-bassam-mahfouz-b1224894.html?utm_source=openai)) The article was published on 26 October 2025, indicating a freshness of approximately four months. While the topic is recent, the specific data points and quotes may be recycled from earlier reports. The narrative includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. Additionally, the article includes references to other sources, suggesting a synthesis of existing information. ([standard.co.uk](https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/graffiti-underground-tube-vandalism-bakerloo-central-line-tfl-bassam-mahfouz-b1224894.html?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
The narrative includes direct quotes from TfL officials and London Assembly members. For instance, Bassam Mahfouz, a Labour member of the London Assembly, commented on the surge in graffiti, stating, "The recent surge in graffiti on Central line trains is concerning and costly." ([standard.co.uk](https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/graffiti-underground-tube-vandalism-bakerloo-central-line-tfl-bassam-mahfouz-b1224894.html?utm_source=openai)) This quote appears to be reused from earlier reports, indicating potential recycled content. The wording of the quote matches previous publications, suggesting a lack of originality.
Source reliability
Score:
6
Notes:
The narrative originates from MyLondon, a local news outlet. While it provides detailed coverage of the issue, the outlet's reputation and editorial standards are not as well-established as those of major national newspapers. This raises questions about the reliability of the information presented. Additionally, the article includes references to other sources, suggesting a synthesis of existing information. ([standard.co.uk](https://www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/graffiti-underground-tube-vandalism-bakerloo-central-line-tfl-bassam-mahfouz-b1224894.html?utm_source=openai))
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative presents a plausible account of the surge in graffiti on the Central and Bakerloo lines, citing TfL's removal of over 3,000 tags weekly. The challenges faced by TfL, such as the lack of onboard CCTV and the age of the trains, are consistent with previous reports. However, the article's reliance on a single source and the lack of corroboration from other reputable outlets reduce its credibility. The tone and language used are consistent with typical reporting on such issues.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The narrative presents a plausible account of the surge in graffiti on the Central and Bakerloo lines, but it relies heavily on recycled content and quotes from earlier reports. The source's reliability is questionable due to its local nature and lack of established reputation. The lack of corroboration from other reputable outlets further diminishes the narrative's credibility. Given these factors, the overall assessment is a 'FAIL' with medium confidence.
Tags:
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London Underground
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Graffiti Vandalism
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Transport Infrastructure
