A group of metal thieves damaged the German railways yesterday, causing many delays.
Domestic and international trains travelling through Frankfurt and Stuttgart were cancelled on Monday due to missing material. Rail operator Deutsche Bahn has been working all day to restore the route. Public transport has since resumed, with some disruptions.
Local police officers investigating the case say that high metal prices have sparked a new wave of copper thieves. Some act alone while others are part of an organised criminal gang.
This week’s metal theft represents the second time railway infrastructure was targeted this month. Law enforcement expects it won’t be the last case in the next few weeks.
In fact, Deutsche Bahn spent over EUR 6.5 million on repairs caused by copper thieves in 2022. That year alone, stolen material caused almost 2700 delays. The metal is likely exported out of Germany to countries with less strict metal scrap laws.
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