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A spate of cable thefts on the South Wales Valley rail network has caused widespread disruption for passengers – and left a repair bill of more than three quarters of a million pounds.

On September 19, signalling cables were cut and stolen on the Rhymney line between Bargoed and Caerphilly, bringing all services to a halt. Engineers worked through the weekend to repair the damage, with services not returning to normal until Sunday.

But just hours later, in the early hours of September 22, thieves struck again. Around 150 metres of overhead wires were cut and removed near Tirphil, forcing further cancellations while teams worked to make the line safe.

The combined cost of repairs from these two incidents alone is estimated at over £750,000 – and that figure does not include the wider costs of cancelled services and passenger delays.

Other lines have also been hit. On September 23, around ten metres of signalling cable was taken near Fernhill on the Aberdare line, with another theft reported in the same area the following morning.

Dan Tipper, Chief Infrastructure Officer for Transport for Wales, said: “Cable and wire thefts across our network not only cost the taxpayer significant amounts due to the cost to repair and replace this equipment, over £750,000 pounds in just the last week alone, but also leads to delays and cancellations, impacting our passengers who rely on our rail network.

“Every pound spent repairing damage from this vandalism is a pound taken away from investing into better services for our communities.”

Superintendent Andy Morgan, of the British Transport Police, described cable theft as far from a victimless crime.

“It results in enormous delays and disruption to services which impacts the everyday users of the railway,” he said.

“There can also be a real personal cost. Power running through overhead cables is 100 times stronger than your supply at home – enough electricity to kill you or leave you with life-changing injuries. It isn’t worth trespassing on the tracks for personal gain at the cost of your life.”

Transport for Wales says it is stepping up security patrols across the Valleys network and is working with British Transport Police to investigate and prosecute those responsible.

The public are being urged to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity near the railway by calling British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40, texting 61016 in non-emergencies, or dialling 999 if a crime is in progress.