KiwiRail and New Zealand Police are urging the public to report suspicious activity around rail corridors as thefts of railway infrastructure continue to disrupt services across the Wellington region.
KiwiRail says signals, cables and overhead lines are increasingly being targeted by thieves, causing delays and cancellations for both passenger and freight services.
Wellington Metro general manager Andy Lyon says the thefts pose a significant safety risk and come at a considerable cost to the rail network.
“People are stealing signals, cables and overhead lines, all of which are crucial components on the railway operation. They are putting themselves at enormous risk by interfering with live equipment.”
According to KiwiRail, theft-related incidents forced six service cancellations on the Hutt Valley Line during April, while more than 50 other services were delayed.
The company says up to 5km of cable has been stolen from the Wairarapa over the past six months. While the scrap value is relatively low, replacement costs run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“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,” Lyon says.
“All this has a big knock-on effect for our commuters and freight customers, and ultimately the connectivity of our region.”
Police say offenders are putting themselves at risk of serious injury or death by interfering with rail infrastructure.
“Anyone that interferes with live railway cabling is putting themselves at risk of serious harm through electrocution,” says Inspector Shaun Lingard, Hutt Valley area prevention manager.
“Railway cabling is thought to be targeted due to the copper 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 are encouraging anyone who witnesses suspicious activity around rail corridors to call 111 immediately, or report information through the 105 service if the incident has already occurred.
