KiwiRail and NZ Police have urged members of the public to report any suspicious activity around rail corridors in New Zealand after a spate of thefts.
Signals, cables and overhead lines have all been stolen recently, disrupting freight and passenger rail services.
In April, services on the Hutt Valley Line had to be cancelled six times, and more than 50 services were delayed as a result of stolen rail equipment.
As much as five kilometres of cable has been taken from the Wairarapa alone in the past six months. While the scrap cost is very low, replacing these cables could cost up to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Wellington Metro General Manager Andy Lyon said the equipment that is being taken is crucial for a railway to run safely, and the thefts come at a big price for KiwiRail and the public.
“There is the obvious cost of replacing stolen equipment, but theft of this nature typically leads to serious disruption while we reinstall equipment and test systems before getting core rail services back up and running,” he said.
“All this has a big knock-on effect for our commuters and freight customers, and ultimately the connectivity of our region.”
Inspector Shaun Lingard, Hutt Valley Area Prevention Manager for New Zealand Police, said the thieves are also putting themselves in major danger to commit these crimes.
“Anyone that interferes with live railway cabling is putting themselves at risk of serious harm through electrocution,” he said.
“Railway cabling is thought to be targeted due to the cooper content and the increasing scrap value of copper. However, the return is low for such a high-risk activity, and it really costs the whole community when cable is stolen.
“Police encourage the public to report suspicious behaviour if it’s happening at the time to 111, or call and use the 105 service online if it’s after the fact.”
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