Cables stolen 3 days after being replaced

2012-02-23 08:20

Johannesburg - Trains on the Leralla-Tembisa line on the East Rand were disrupted on Thursday morning because of cable theft, rail authorities said.

There were minor delays because 64 metres of cable had been stolen, Metrorail spokesperson Tony Games said.

Contingency plans were put in place to minimise any delays between Leralla and Kaalfontein.

Metrorail has arranged buses as an alternative for commuters and one line was open for trains to utilise, said Games.

"Metrorail sincerely apologises for the inconvenience caused and invites the community to report criminals stealing overhead cables to their nearest police stations."

The cable was stolen from the same area where Metrorail technicians had replaced 60 metres of stolen cable on Monday.

Metrorail security guards had apprehended seven people on Tuesday for the cable theft and handed them over to police.

- SAPA