Graffiti artists hit several cars of an M-train and damaged it from top to bottom with colorful labels, causing tens of thousands of dollars in property damage, the MTA said Wednesday.
In a video posted to Instagram on Monday, the subway train – featuring cartoon characters and depictions of a skyline exposed by a brick wall – is shown along the tracks of an unspecified elevated Apple drive.
According to the MTA, officials discovered the vandalism on Monday around 6:50 p.m.
The vandals apparently hit the train at a so-called depot in Queens near Forest Hills-71st Avenue Station, which falls under the responsibility of the NYPD to patrol. .
The graffiti train has since been taken out of service.
“Vandalism costs New Yorkers – it deprives customers of service while cars are being cleaned, it requires transit workers to scrub graffiti rather than fulfill their normal duties, and it costs taxpayers money that can be used to improve the service,” MTA spokesman Shams Tarek told The Post in a statement.
“We are working with the NYPD to investigate this latest case of offenders who have caused tens of thousands of dollars in damages, and we will seek compensation from anyone convicted.”