CRIME and disorder on the railways is up significantly in the Vale of Glamorgan, according to figures released by Arriva Trains Wales this week.

In the first three and a half months of 2007, Arriva Trains Wales reported 30 serious incidents in the Vale of Glamorgan including two assaults on staff.

Others involved anti-social behaviour, vandalism, trespassing onto railway lines, criminal damage and public disorder.

There were 23 reported incidents in the same period in 2006.

The rise in railway crime comes despite the introduction of increased security measures over the past 15 months.

Arriva Trains Wales (ATW) commercial director Mike Bagshaw said: "Our staff have a right to feel safe in their place of work, and our job as a company is to ensure they have a safe place to work so yes, it's a very serious problem."

ATW staff had to deal with drunks on the line at Dingle Road station in Penarth in February and a conductor was assaulted in Cadoxton on the Barry Line on March 23.

Another member of staff was assaulted at Barry Docks on the Barry Line on April 13.

So far this year there have been 12 reports of anti-social behaviour in the Vale of Glamorgan, which included incidents of youths causing disturbances at Dinas Powys, Cadoxton, Rhoose, Barry, Barry Island and Llantwit Major.

On April 18, a stone was thrown into the carriage of a train through an open window in Cadoxton.

Other incidents involved abusive and disruptive passengers at Rhoose, a fare dodger at Eastbrook Station, a train's window being smashed at Dinas Powys and people running onto the line at Cogan and Cadoxton.

According to Arriva Trains Wales, crime and disorder on the railways in Wales has nearly doubled so far this year.

There were 539 incidents between January to mid April 2007, compared to 317 in the same period in 2006.

Over the past year Arriva Trains Wales has invested in CCTV on all trains, at most stations, funded extra Police Community Support Officers and additional security guards on trains.

But the problem has continued to escalate particularly during the evenings and school holiday periods.

An Arriva spokesperson said: "The safety of Arriva Trains Wales passengers and staff are our primary concern.

"The majority of people travelling on ATW services are law-abiding citizens but there are some areas where anti-social behaviour has become a particular problem.

"We believe that this problem can be alleviated with the help of the general public reporting any sale of supply of alcohol to underage drinkers for example or reporting incidents to the British Transport Police helpline."