Cable and metal theft on the Welsh railways is being tackled by Transport for Wales (TfW) as it launches an anonymous reporting service for people to share details of suspicious activities.
TfW, which is responsible for Wales’ train services, road and bridges, said that an independent charity was running the reporting service and that both TfW and the charity would ensure the anonymity of people reporting suspected thefts.
It said cable and metal thefts are a “serious issue” for the railway and often results in delays, cancellations and wider disruption to the operation of the network.
TfW hopes that by launching the reporting service, which is called TfW Protect, it can raise awareness of the impact that cable and metal thefts have on the people who use the railway and on the wider economy.
“TfW Protect encourages anyone who has witnessed or heard something suspicious to report it, whether it involves specific names, physical descriptions, dates and times, or what3words locations for remote areas,” TfW said.
“Everyone has a role to play in keeping the network safe, and every piece of information could make a difference.”
It said people making reports would not be asked for their name or personal details, phone numbers are not visible to the service, calls are not recorded and IP addresses are scrambled.
It also said that reports are “sanitised to remove identifying information before being shared with TfW”, and neither the service nor TfW can identify or trace the source of the information shared.
Transport for Wales head of security, risk and resilience Josh Hopkins said: “We’re pleased to be launching TfW Protect, giving people a simple and completely anonymous way to share information about cable and metal theft affecting our railway.
“This type of crime can have a real impact on our customers and communities, and the information people provide can play an important role in helping us protect the network.
“We’re glad that TfW Protect can give the reassurance that information can be shared safely, confidently and anonymously.”
In February, the UK and Welsh governments agreed on a long-term plan to upgrade rail services across Wales, backing a Transport for Wales (TfW) vision that officials said could support thousands of jobs and unlock new housing and business developments.
The intergovernmental Wales Rail Board were expected to use TfW’s Today, Tomorrow, Together document as the blueprint for a pipeline of projects that ministers say could total as much as £14bn as schemes are developed.
The UK Government formally endorsed the plan and pledged to work with the Welsh Government to deliver projects “as quickly as possible”, following commitments made in the 2025 Spending Review.
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