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.<\/p>\n
TfW, which is responsible for Wales\u2019 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.<\/p>\n
It said cable and metal thefts are a \u201cserious issue\u201d for the railway and often results in delays, cancellations and wider disruption to the operation of the network.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cTfW 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,\u201d TfW said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone has a role to play in keeping the network safe, and every piece of information could make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
It also said that reports are \u201csanitised to remove\u00a0identifying\u00a0information before being shared with TfW\u201d, and neither the service nor TfW can identify or trace the source of the information shared.<\/p>\n
Transport for Wales head of security, risk and resilience Josh Hopkins said: \u201cWe\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re glad that TfW Protect can give the reassurance that information can be shared safely, confidently and anonymously.\u201d<\/p>\n