By Denise Deason
THOUSANDS of commuters faced long delays yesterday after vandalism on the Werribee railway line.
Connex spokesman John Rees confirmed the theft of copper cabling along the track on Sunday night.
“Several hundred metres of copper wire was stolen, so it was an organised theft,” he said.
“It’s delayed 100-plus trains.
“We’re replacing the wire and hope to have the trains back for the afternoon peak.”
The theft occurred at Laverton Junction.
Buses replaced the train service between Laverton and Newport stations.
The delays for commuters, for up to an hour, had a knock-on effect to other parts of the rail system.
Copper wire is used in overhead cables along the lines to conduct electricity.
Thefts of the metal are rising in Melbourne.
Seven trains were cancelled on the Dandenong line last November due to such a theft and, in December, 2006, a homeless man was charged with the theft of thousands of dollars of copper wire from train lines around the city.
Copper is increasingly being targeted by thieves due to the increase in its value on the London Metals Exchange to $8626.40 a tonne.
