A Network Rail spokesman said on Friday May 13 that the number of breaches had soared over the past month as the price of copper rose, with incidents being reported daily in the first week of trading. april.
Scrap cash trading is illegal without exception and subject to unlimited fines.
Olga Barannikova, Area Customer Services and Performance Manager for Network Rail, said: “The impact of rail cable theft should not be underestimated. Not only does this waste taxpayers’ money and frustrate late passengers, it also delays the delivery of important freight supplies and takes key rail staff away from their jobs.
“We are constantly finding clever new ways to catch offenders, and I know this new push with the BTP will help us to make it clear that criminal behavior – trespassing, vandalism and theft – will not be tolerated on Britain’s railways. .”
Network Rail and the BTP say they are now using new ways to catch thieves in the act, so criminals can be brought to justice.
Learning from successful chases, teams are stepping up proactive patrols and using real-time surveillance techniques to monitor sensitive areas.
The theft of signal cables, electrical wires and metal equipment in areas such as Rotherham, Sheffield and Aldwarke has cost Network Rail more than £280,000 since April 2021.
As an independent government agency, this cost is ultimately paid for by taxpayers.
Passengers have also seen their journey delayed by 89 hours over the past year, with each breach causing widespread disruption.
When a cable is cut, trains are immobilized, leading to frustrating delays that ripple through the entire network.
Officials say South Yorkshire is the region of England hardest hit by wire rope thefts.
PC Darren Martin of BTP’s Disruption Team, said: “Railway cable theft is far from a victimless crime.
“It costs the rail industry millions of pounds every year, causing delays and cost increases for projects that have a ripple effect on passengers.
“Every day, rail users feel the impact on their journeys when thieves strike and it is ultimately the taxpayer who pays.
“Like us and Network Rail, the courts also take cable theft very seriously and we will do all we can to bring those responsible to justice.
“We continue to work with Network Rail to upgrade and improve our resources to catch cable thieves in the act – I would like to assure those responsible for the recent spate of cable thefts in South Yorkshire that this is only ‘a matter of time before they’re arrested.”
Some measures have been taken by the government to make it more difficult to sell stolen metal in recent years, such as requiring sellers to show identification.
More about this article: Read More
Source: www.thestar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-05-14 20:04:33
