Traffic
Metal thieves are paralyzing rail traffic again
Metal thieves caused train cancellations in the morning (symbolic image). photo
© Marijan Murat/dpa
They steal gutters and fences, and they don’t even stop at grave crosses – but metal thieves pose particular problems for the railway. Now they shut down the route from Frankfurt to Stuttgart.
Metal thieves have once again struck on a central railway line and destroyed the important connection Frankfurt to Stuttgart paralyzed for many hours. Deutsche Bahn announced that several long-distance trains were canceled in the morning. The theft was discovered in the morning on the route between Mannheim Central Station in Baden-Württemberg and Lampertheim in Hesse. Accordingly, the problem will probably not be resolved until the evening.
The DB expected delays and partial cancellations in long-distance and regional transport, it said. According to the information, all ICE trains between Frankfurt and Stuttgart and individual ICE trains between Frankfurt – Stuttgart – Munich were affected. The DB expected delays on the Frankfurt – Mannheim route.
Easy game for thieves
Rising prices for scrap and metal are attracting more and more thieves. Because copper from the cables is traded on the market and is in demand. Thieves often have an easy time of it because their prey is difficult to identify. In addition to spontaneous individual perpetrators, there are also well-organized gangs that are equipped with special tools. However, thieves put their lives in danger when they act on busy railway lines.
Most recently, a cable theft near Mannheim shortly before Christmas caused a stir, anger and severe delays in holiday traffic. Thieves had cut several kilometers of copper cable in a cable shaft on the railway line between Mannheim-Waldhof and Lampertheim. According to the federal police, the shaft was open due to construction work. The perpetrators also stole several hundred meters of cable, which was important for the DB’s control and security technology. After the theft, there were delays on the route for days. Long-distance traffic from Frankfurt/Main and Mannheim was also affected, as the trains had to travel a little slower.