A surge of thefts of valuable copper wiring has caused disruptions for the Metro rail system, which serves more than 5 million riders a month.
The thefts from the rail system can cause service delays and interruptions for passengers, forcing Metro to use buses, reduce train speeds or rely on a single track, said Errol Taylor, Metro’s deputy chief operations officer.There are two types of cables being stolen, he said. One type is larger cables that have the most copper and are used to provide traction power to the trains.
The other type is smaller cables called track circuit cables. These are part of the train’s control system, and losing the cables can affect the ability to brake, detect trains on the track circuit, signal the trains on how fast they can go and operate the gate crosses, Taylor said.Thieves run the risk of being hit by trains when they attempt to steal the wire, Sotero added.As one way to stop the thefts, Metro is working to encase its copper wires in concrete.
Additionally, Metro has added monitoring mechanisms and increased security patrols, Sotero said. He added that law enforcement is in contact with scrap yards and recycle centers that buy copper wires to reinforce that police are pursuing the thieves and those who are enabling them.In April, San Joaquin County reported a 139% increase in copper wire thefts over four months, according to
. Many of the wires targeted are from fiber optic cables, and one theft in the county left the 911 center unable to receive calls, ABC reported.
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