Police have carried out drone patrols after Lancashire train services were hit by the theft of £100,000 worth of electrical cables.
When engineers set out to perform work in Lostock during the Christmas break, they discovered the missing cable. The line between Chorley and Bolton was closed for the majority of Sunday (December 29) and many services, including Blackpool North to Preston and those to Manchester Airport, were affected.
The incident comes amid ongoing efforts to electrify the Wigan to Bolton line, which started back in 2022. This crucial cable is used to power the overhead line equipment essential for running electric trains.
The timing of the theft was particularly disruptive as it occurred just one week before the line was scheduled to be energised on New Year’s Day. British Transport Police have now confirmed they are investigating while drone patrols will be in operation at the site in the days and weeks to come as part of investigations, the M.E.N reports.
Adam Swallow, British Transport Police Chief Inspector, said: “Since being made aware of the theft of this high-value equipment from the engineering project at Lostock, we are working at pace to investigate the incident. We are appealing to anybody who witnessed the incident or any events leading up to the incident to get in touch as soon as possible.
“Any information could help us establish the circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with any information is urged to call 0800 40 50 40 or text 61016 quoting log 148 – 23.12.24”
Christian Irwin, Network Rail’s capital delivery director, said on Sunday: “I am very sorry to passengers who will be impacted by the rail closure between Chorley and Bolton on Sunday. It is extremely frustrating for this crime to take place so close to the energisation of the line.
“Our teams have been working very hard to deliver this upgrade for passengers over several years including over this Christmas period. We are working closely with the British Transport Police to provide additional security measures and to find and prosecute those accountable.”
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