RAIL staff say teenagers are causing mayhem and misery on an Inverclyde train line on a daily basis as police step up patrols in the wake of a string of assaults and vandalism.

Two members of ScotRail staff and a passenger have been the victims of attacks on the Port Glasgow to Wemyss Bay route, with each incident having been reported to prosecutors.

In another alarming disturbance a fire extinguisher was hurled trackside at Drumfrochar Station – near the spot, pictured, where killer vandals derailed a late night train in 1994 with the loss of two lives.

A ScotRail source, who spoke to the Telegraph on condition of anonymity, said today: “Trains are being vandalised every day, with emergency door handles getting smashed and putting the public in danger.

“Fire extinguishers are used to soak trains and emergency lights are stolen as well.

“Things are so bad that staff have been told not to come out of the back cab for their own safety.” 

British Transport Police (BTP) and ScotRail have both confirmed that a series of criminal incidents have taken place recently.

Our ScotRail insider said: “The transport police are patrolling the stations at the weekend but these kids don’t care and are still doing all this with a police presence.

“The worst one was when they threw the fire extinguisher at Drumfrochar Station, the same spot where a previous act of vandalism derailed a train.

“This needs to brought to the public’s attention.

“One member of staff has asked for that the trains don’t stop after Port Glasgow until Inverkip, due to safety fears.” 

A BTP spokeswoman said: “In relation to the fire extinguisher theft, two juveniles were charged with theft and anti-social behaviour offences. The actual extinguisher was lying near the tracks and was recovered very quickly by police.”

In confirming the recent assaults, the BTP spokeswoman said: “In November, we had two minor staff assaults reported to us, with no injuries reported – one was at Bogston and one at Drumfrochar. A number people have been reported to the procurator fiscal for these offences.

“There was one minor assault, no injury, on a member of the public at Drumfrochar on October 6 and a person was arrested and charged in relation to this.

“We have been, and continue, to provide high profile policing on routes within the Inverclyde area providing reassurance to both staff and the public, and are committed to preventing antisocial behaviour before it happens.

“We’ve had uniform patrols, dogs in partnership with Police Scotland, and community wardens, out across the area and since then, have not had any reports of anti-social behaviour.

The Telegraph understands that the two assaults onboard trains at Bogston and Drumfrochar in November were attacks on ScotRail employees. 

A ScotRail spokesman said: “We do not tolerate any sort of physical or verbal violence towards our staff or customers and we are working with the British Transport Police, which includes patrols on trains and around stations, to clamp down on this unacceptable behaviour.”