- The state-owned rail operator experiences 600 copper cable theft and vandalism incidents per month.
- The situation is worsening with 9.4km of cable stolen in the past 48 hours alone
- Transnet is considering a move away from electric locomotives to diesel-only.
Copper cable theft and vandalism has reached "unprecedented levels", with over 600 incidents a month and growing, Transnet has warned.
Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), an operating division of state-owned logistics company Transnet, in a statement on Wednesday afternoon said it lost over 1 000 km of copper cable between January and October.
“TFR continues to witness a steep increase in incidents. In the period 29 October to 10 November, 55km of cable was stolen, 9.4km of which was stolen in the last 48 hours alone,” the company said.
The rampant theft and vandalism is wreaking havoc on the rail network causing Transnet to cancel trains daily which in turn causes it, and its customers to lose out on billions in potential revenues.
In the year to date, TFR said it has cancelled 1 190 trains as a direct result of security related incidents.
"The incidents range from the theft of copper cable, vandalism of susbstations which are crucial to the running of our electrified fleet, theft of wiring and cable from locomotives, theft of wooden rail sleepers and other malicious damage to Transnet property," TFR said. "The damage runs into hundreds of millions."
The rail operator said many of the incidents take place on high-traffic and high-volume corridors, moving major bulk commodities for its customers.
“We have seen a particular spike in incidents in the NorthCor (where we move Coal), CapeCor (where we move Manganese) and the Central Corridor which is a junction connecting all of our corridors. These lost volumes can never be recouped.”
TFR said the consequences of cable theft are not limited to financial losses but often result in tragedy.
TFR security is under constant threat and just last week a security officer was ambushed and fatally injured at the Natalspruit Depot in Germiston.
The group said it continues to work with law enforcement, the matter is however so severe that Transnet is proposing a move away from diesel-electric locomotives to diesel-only as this will do away with need for copper cabling.