Wellington sees a surge of rail equipment theft

A surge in people stealing copper equipment from the rail network in Wellington has Police and Kiwirail urging the public to report any suspicious behaviour.

Wellington Metro General Manager Andy Lyon said it's a major problem, with a big cost to KiwiRail and the public.

"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."

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, costing passengers time and money.

About five kilometres of cable has gone missing from the Wairarapa alone in the past six months, and Kiwirail said while the scrap cost is very low, the cost to replace these cables runs into the 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.

"All this has a big knock-on effect for our commuters and freight customers, and ultimately the connectivity of our region.," said Lyon.

Inspector Shaun Lingard, Hutt Valley Area Prevention Manager for New Zealand Police said there is significant risk to the offenders when they attempt to steal equipment and trespass the rail corridor.

"Anyone that interferes with live railway cabling is putting themselves at risk of serious harm through electrocution.

"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," he said.

Police are urging 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.