South Yorkshire railway cable thefts bill hits £630k in six weeks

On Sunday, services near Doncaster were delayed after a signalling cable was cut

Railway cable thieves in South Yorkshire have cost the taxpayer almost £630,000 in just six weeks, new figures from Network Rail show.

On Sunday, trains near Doncaster were severely delayed because of thieves stealing signalling cables.

Since the start of April there have been 14 thefts in Sheffield and Doncaster, meaning 114 hours of delays for passengers, Network Rail said.

In 2021, there were 89 hours of delays, costing the taxpayer £280,000.

The rising scrap value of cabling was thought to be behind the thefts, with drones, covert cameras and a dedicated security team being used to deter thieves, according to Network Rail.

At the weekend, theft of cable at Arksey Loop in South Yorkshire led to many trains being delayed and some passengers missing connections.

When thieves steal cables, that part of the rail network has to be brought to a standstill as a failsafe, Network Rail said.

Proactive patrols have been set up by Network Rail and British Transport Police to deter would-be cable thieves, Network Rail says

Previously, Olga Barannikova from Network Rail, had said it had seen a "huge spike" in incidents involving cable theft in South Yorkshire.

"It's quite concerning to see that type of behaviour as it does have a knock-on effect on the rail services and causes massive delays," she said.

British Transport Police (BTP) said it was working with Network Rail to disrupt people intent on stealing lineside equipment, which cost the rail industry "millions of pounds each year".

PC Darren Martin, from BTP, said: "Every day, rail users feel the impact on their journeys when thieves strike and ultimately it is the taxpayer who forks out."

Officers had been working with Network Rail to catch thieves in the act, PC Martin added.