Eurostar trains delayed and cancelled after cable theft
LONDON (THE NEW YORK TIMES) Eurostar, the high-speed train service that connects Britain with continental Europe, was facing a second consecutive day of severe delays after cables were stolen near Lille, France, and two people were killed when they were hit by trains, the company said.The train operator said there were delays and last-minute cancellations Wednesday after a "cable theft' that morning near the station in northern France, and advised passengers to cancel or postpone their trips.Eurostar was also forced to cancel routes Tuesday, after two people were stuck in separate incidents near Lille and Arras, both in northern France, on its high-speed line between Lille and Paris. The company said in an emailed statement that normal traffic resumed by 1 p.m. in London, although it expected some delays through the day.The problems come during a time of heightened fears about sabotage in Europe, and they follow several other major disruptions to European rail services because of cable theft or vandalism.In May, more than 10,000 passengers were stranded in Spain after what the country's transport minister, Oscar Puente, called a theft of "low-value cable.'Last July, arsonists in France cut and burned cables for high-speed rail lines before the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, targeting important signal stations in three different areas. Experts say that the unusually dense French rail network is especially vulnerable to sabotage, in part because it is so expansive.About 600 meters, or nearly 2,000 feet, of copper wiring was stolen from Eurostar, Julien Duperray, a spokesperson for France's national railway company, wrote in an email. Though no motive was given for the latest theft, railways have been vulnerable to thieves looking to make some quick cash, in addition to vandals and saboteurs.Thefts of copper wiring have recently surged in both the United States and France, in part because the price of the conductive metal has soared with the rise of electric vehicles and other technologies.
"We implement protection measures, and security devices are arranged along the railway network, but robbery sometimes happens - the value of copper is presently high,' Duperray said.
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