South Yorkshire rail passengers delayed 213 hours in 12 months by cable thefts
There have been 50 thefts of railway cables between in the last five years - according to data released by Network Rail
Cable thefts on railway lines between Doncaster and Sheffield have delayed passengers by over 213 hours in the past year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) can reveal.
There have been 50 thefts of railway cables between in the last five years, including 16 in 2025/26 alone, data released by Network Rail under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act shows.
Passengers on services between the two South Yorkshire cities, which also passes through Rotherham, often see services cancelled or severely delayed as a result of the thefts.
According to the FOI response, the total delay in the 12 months to February 2026, linked directly to cable thefts, reached 12,809 minutes – or roughly 213.5 hours.
Network Rail is publicly funded, meaning each theft is an additional cost to the taxpayer to repair.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “In 2025 alone, crime incidents on our North & East route cost Network Rail over £1.3 million.
“As the price of copper has increased, we have seen thefts rise, including incidents of cable theft. That’s why we work closely with British Transport Police to catch and prosecute offenders using a range of strategies. These include proactive patrols as well as deploying drones and security cameras at strategic locations. We also forensically mark our assets so we can link individuals to thefts. This work led to 16 successful prosecutions between April and December 2025.”
The organisation was unable to provide a figure of costs to repair thefts.
Improved rail connections across the region is a crucial part of the ‘South Yorkshire People’s Network’, the regional public transport network announced by the South Yorkshire Mayor, Oliver Coppard, earlier this year.
The Mayor’s plan for the coming years and decades included upgrades for stations in Sheffield, Rotherham and Doncaster, as well as better rail links from Barnsley.
However, cable thefts could mean significant disruption issues continue into this proposed new era for regional transport, if it is not addressed.
A spokesperson for the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority said: “We are fully supportive of the efforts by both Network Rail and British Transport Police to tackle this national issue, as we work together to improve services for passengers travelling around South Yorkshire’s public transport network.”