Theft of Signalling Cable

[Sonik]

Yes, less cables should in theory reduce the level of the problem. However, in my experience, generally speaking, cable routes in the middle of the countryside are less likely to be attacked. It’s town and city urban and suburban areas where we normally have the most problems. Unfortunately a significant number of complex junctions are in these areas.

Not all areas have an alternative route. And not all signalling systems support data being diverse routed. If the fibre-optic cable is carrying fibres leased to other telecom companies, its often more expensive to the railways for the penalty payments to the telecom companies than the disruption to the train services.

Then there’s the idiots that open a cable route, chop multiple cables with a hacksaw, try to drag some of the cables along the track, then either get disturbed and run off, or give up because the cable is too heavy. So they put a bit of effort in, risk their life, but leave with nothing.

Interesting insights, thanks.

In principal, anything that makes cable theft more difficult/risky and/or less lucrative, should have some effect on reducing the motives for people to attempt it. Not that thieves are so rational of course, but Darwinian principals eventually have an effect.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Jul 2022 ==

It matters more what the thieves think they're made of rather than what they're actually made of. It might stop thieves bothering a second time if they discover that they're not copper but it doesn't stop that first attempt, or the next person trying their hand at stealing them.

I'd expect that word does eventually get around in such circles. Such low level desperado crime isn't very organised, but birds of a feather and all that. It's often a relatively small group of loosely linked individuals that are involved in a large number of incidents.

 

[D6130]

ISTR that the last few major cable theft incidents on the Calder Valley line - three or four years ago now - involved the culprits entering Summit Tunnel during the night, pulling a long-ish length of cable out of the lineside troughing, looping it round across the track and then waiting for the first train in the morning to cut it for them - before making off with their newly-cut prize and leaving the railway in complete chaos for the next several hours.

 

[Stathern Jc]

I remember my Dad talking of an incident in the 70's, I think in the Ilkeston area, where some cabling had been replaced, and the original and new versions were lying side by side.
Apparently, when some "itinerent metal dealers" were being interviewed about the cable theft, they said that they'd put an axe through one and after a few days when it hadn't been fixed they knew which one wasn't wanted. Don't know how much they had helped themselves to, but doubt it was a unique case.

 

[Annetts key]

… pulling a long-ish length of cable out of the lineside troughing, looping it round across the track and then waiting for the first train in the morning to cut it for them…

Yeah, that’s fairly common. Why bother with the hard work of remembering to take tools and the hard work of cutting the cable if you can get the train to do it for you…