At about 12.15am last Thursday morning Ararat Police inspected two South Australian-registered vehicles at the Ararat Railway Station close to the compound where the V/Line trains are housed.

As a result of the search conducted on the vehicles police discovered approximately 40 cans of spray paint, a balaclava, a cordless angle grinder, bolt and wire cutters, disposable gloves and a mobile phone containing a large number of photographs depicting graffiti images.

Police also located damage to the compound fence where it appears a person has tried to force entry.

Two females and a male from South Australia were arrested and are being investigated in regards to their intention.

This incident follows a spate of separate graffiti damages on V/Line trains stretching over a number of years.

In 2014 officers arrested and charged four youths from Melbourne after they were caught vandalising train carriages inside the rail compound.

Ararat Police Crime Prevention Officer, Leading Senior Constable Eddy MacDonald said it appears local officers may have stopped another graffiti incident from occurring.

"This is a really good example of proactive policing from a routine intercept," he said.