Copper Thieves Knock Out Rail Services In Germany
Playfuls: December 29th 2006
by News Staff
Copper thieves disrupted railway services in the west of Germany on Friday, knocking out a signals station and forcing bullet trains to divert to other main-line tracks in the Cologne area.
Along with many other countries, Germany has been hit by an upsurge in metal thefts since 2004. Wiring is often stolen and sold as copper scrap.
The thieves absconded after vainly trying to hack off a main signal cable early Friday, but the damage had been done, leaving electricians with the all-day job of reconnecting and testing 120 strands of the cable.
Railways spokesman Udo Kampschulte said about 200 services were disrupted in and near Cologne, with some suburban services severely delayed.