Millions of euros and thousands of delays: Copper theft delays passengers across Europe

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Copper theft has delayed thousands of trains and caused millions of euros worth of damage to rail infrastructure across Europe.

You may wonder how a thief stealing metal could be serious enough to take a train out of service. Well, without copper, trains wouldn’t run at all.

It is an essential component for signal cables, grounding wires, power lines, etc. Without these, trains would not have the power or communication to run.

Why would a thief try to steal copper?

One tonne may have been sold to a British metal recycling facility for around £6,600 (€7,726) in March last year, according to a report by the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group into Metal Theft. While thieves may not be able to sell their stolen goods to official recycling sites, they are likely to sell them at more informal scrapyards.

With the price of copper expected to rise over the next two years, railway operators fear more copper thefts.

They are looking to strengthen their defenses, and some European countries have even adopted DNA technology to defeat thieves.

So how big of a problem is copper theft? european railways And what specifically can be done to stop it?

Where in Europe is copper theft a big problem?

The scale of the problem is revealed by data from the continent’s largest rail operator.

Figures published at the Euronews Travel by Network Rail Show show that demand for copper will cost UK railways 84,390 minutes of delays in the 2022/23 financial year, costing them £12.24 million (14.33 million pounds). It cost EUR.

in GermanyThere have been 450 cases of metal theft on railways operated by Deutsche Bahn, a spokesperson for the railway company said. This resulted in a total delay of 40,000 minutes for 3,200 trains and cost Deutsche Bahn 7 million euros.

french operator SNCF I was told it was over 40,000. train The latest statistics for 2022 show that metal theft has affected businesses, resulting in losses of over 20 million euros.

belgian railways was also affected, with 466 copper thefts occurring in 2022, an increase of 300% compared to 2021, and a delay of 33,000 minutes.

However, not all countries suffer from this problem. “The number of copper thefts was in the low single digits across Austria last year, but did not cause any disruption to train operations,” a spokesperson for Austrian railway company ÖBB told Euronews. .

What are railroads doing about copper theft?

The numbers involved are huge, but have decreased significantly over the past 10-15 years. According to Deutsche Bahn, the number of infected people in Germany has fallen by about 85% from 3,200 in 2013 to 450 in 2023.

However, there are challenges in combating crime.

Railway lines and infrastructure are, of course, dispersed. beyond the country and pass through remote areas. This makes it difficult to monitor and arrest thieves.

In recent years, companies have increased their cooperation with police and are using CCTV and drones to enhance security.

contains several operators network railSNCF and german railways It even turned to DNA technology to thwart thieves.

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“We always talk about the DNA fear factor,” says James Brown, managing director of Selectamark, the company that provides the technology. “Criminals know that DNA links them to a crime. Anything that is DNA marked or protected instantly becomes a more difficult target in the minds of criminals. , works very well as a deterrent.”

Selectamark attaches a synthetic DNA marker to the cable to enable identification. This helps police directly link the thief to a specific theft. Grease is also used that contains DNA markers that can be transmitted if a person comes in contact with it, which lasts on the skin for several weeks, cannot be washed off, and is visible under ultraviolet light. The railroad company can then put up signs advertising that his DNA products are being used, keeping potential thieves away.

Are copper prices rising?

Despite this long-term decline, railroads are concerned about recent increases that are said to coincide with rising copper prices. Prices show no signs of slowing down.

Analysts at BMI, a Fitch Solutions company, expect copper prices to rise not only in 2025 but also this year.

This is a sentiment echoed by a recent report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, which called the rise in prices in 2025 “sharp.”

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One reason for this is that Global transition to renewable energy This will increase demand for the metal.

Copper is essential for electrical technology. The International Energy Association predicts that over the next 20 years, the energy sector will account for 40% of global copper demand.

As it stands, the cost of these thefts is in the millions of euros. Many of Europe’s railway operators are state-owned or rely on state funding, meaning taxpayers foot part of the bill.

Copper theft is a difficult crime to stop, and with the price of copper rising, it is unlikely to go away. But railroads have made progress in tackling the problem in recent years, and hope deterrents and other strategies can deter theft and reduce disruption for passengers.