New Year’s travel chaos after 200m of power cables snatched by thieves
As the New Year countdown begins, passengers are facing train delays and cancellations after 656ft (200m) of signalling cables were stolen in South Yorkshire.
Several routes between Doncaster and Sheffield have been affected by the copper theft in Conisbrough, which Network Rail said it was alerted to at about 4am today.
CrossCountry, Northern, and TransPennine Express networks between the two cities are experiencing delays and cancellations.
Both Northern and TransPennine services are likely to be delayed by up to 30 minutes, while CrossCountry trains are facing delays of up to 15 minutes.
Northern line trains, including local services in South Yorkshire and trains running from Doncaster to Hull and Scarborough, are among those affected.
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CrossCountry services between Edinburgh and Birmingham New Street, which call at Sheffield, Wakefield, Leeds and York, have also been impacted.
TransPennine Express services between Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes, calling at Doncaster, have been interrupted.
So far, the theft had caused 13 train cancellations with 83 trains delayed by a total of 15 hours and 39 minutes, BBC reported.
Network Rail staff were on site and the incident is expected to be investigated by the British Transport Police.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: ‘We were alerted to cable theft at Hexthorpe near Doncaster at about 4am today (31 December).
‘Our engineers have been working on repairs to keep trains moving but passengers are advised that disruption is expected until the end of the day, with further repairs taking place after the last passenger service.
‘Cable theft like this is not only disruptive to passenger and freight services but also costs the taxpayer millions of pounds a year.
‘It’s extremely dangerous – with thousands of volts of electricity running through cables, posing fatal risks to perpetrators.
‘We work proactively to install new ways of securing cable and we work closely with British Transport Police to trace those responsible for theft.’
What is cable theft?
Cable theft costs Network Rail millions of pounds each year.
The total cost to the economy is even higher when taking into account the impact of freight delays on power stations and supermarkets, and on passengers travelling.
Thieves target signalling cables, overhead power lines and metal fences to sell for scrap.
The design of Britain’s rail network means that when a cable is cut, trains come to a standstill.
While this is an approach to protect passengers, it can cause lengthy delays while the problem is located and fixed.
To tackle cable theft, Network Rail has funded more British Transport Police officers, increased CCTV, introducing cables that are harder to steal and more.
In 2025, there have been more than 102 incidents of live cables being stolen, costing £5.1m and causing 104,737 minutes of train delays – the Guardian reports.
Source: Network Rail
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