Cable thefts cause rail misery

Cable theft caused travel misery to rail passengers between Bedford and Bletchley - with just hours to go before the start of the Olympics.

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Rail misery for thousands after cable theft

by Russell Hookey

Metal thieves caused chaos today by stealing cables from a line in Bedfordshire.

The theft affected the Midland Main Line just north of Flitwick - stopping services running between Bedford and Luton.

The effect was felt on services stretching almost 200 miles - as far south as Brighton, and as far north as Derby. Russell Hookey reports.

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Network Rail calls for scrap metal law reform

Rail bosses dealing with the chaos of today's cable theft between Bedford and Bletchley are calling for reforms to regulate the scrap metal industry.

Thousands of passengers travelling between London and Bedford have been delayed after almost 1km of signalling cable was stolen last night.

Signalling was only restored at around 3pm, however it is likely that disruption will continue for the remainder of the day.

Now rail chiefs have said incidents like today's have highlighted the need to halt the market for illegal metal.

This morning’s incident shows the huge damage that just one incident can do. We firmly believe that without legal reform we will continue to see thousands of hours of delay and millions of pounds wasted on these crimes.

Network Rail has taken extensive measures to protect our vital railway but we are only stemming the tide.

Reform that effectively takes away the illegal market in scrap metal, including an effective licensing regime and adequate power to police and magistrates, is sorely needed to help stamp out the misery caused by these thieves."

– Martin Frobisher, Network Rail route managing director

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