Major disruption to rail services in Scotland after thieves attempt to steal electrical cables

Train services faced major disruption after thieves attempted to steal electrical cables on the railway line.

Network Rail said the attempted theft occurred within a section of troughing on the North Clyde and Argyle Line between Airdrie and Bathgate.

A piece of the troughing had been opened, and cables were found to be damaged by railway engineers.

Network Rail said the cables, which are important for signal functioning, were significantly damaged in the incident.

As a result, dozens of services on Thursday were disrupted, before the issue was resolved just before 2pm.

The cable troughing had been opened the cables tampered with. Network Rail Scotland

Network Rail confirmed British Transport Police are investigating the attempted theft and vandalism of the cables.

A spokesperson said: “Officers were contacted at around 4am today (30 July) following a cable theft in the Airdrie area. Enquiries are ongoing.”

A Network Rail Scotland spokesperson said: “Train services between Airdrie and Bathgate were disrupted this morning following cable theft overnight, which caused significant damage to railway infrastructure. Our engineers attended the scene as quickly as possible to assess the damage and carry out repairs, working closely with ScotRail to keep passengers moving.

“Cable theft is extremely disruptive for passengers, costly to the railway, and incredibly dangerous. Railway infrastructure can carry high-voltage electricity, and anyone attempting to tamper with it is putting themselves at serious risk of injury or death.

“We would urge anyone with information about this incident or any other railway crime to contact British Transport Police or Crimestoppers.”