With the price of metal through the roof, it’s no surprise that thieves are adopting magpie behaviour and pinching anything they come across with a metallic glimmer. But the extent of this behaviour is wreaking havoc on Britain’s railways, with the recent announcement that Network Rail have forked out a whopping 16.5m to replace stolen cable sections, having seen an increase in theft of 52% in the last year and subsequent delays amounting to over 6,000 hours.
In an attempt to combat this vandalism, which has resulted in massive disruption to the UK’s signalling infrastructure, rail companies have been installing expensive motion sensors, and favouring nylon cable protection systems in place of traditional metal types.
Traditionally, polyamide (or nylon) has been considered a weaker alternative to metal when it comes to protecting cables, but over the years, more have come to rely upon the material for its strength, hardiness and ease of installation. At PMA’s HQ based in Switzerland, materials have been subjected to extensive testing and have proved resilient to extreme fluctuations in temperature as well as being resistant to fungal decay, seawater and certified by ATEX as suitable for use in potentially explosive conditions.
Providing a rodent-resistant solution to rail engineers, PMA’s range of nylon cable protection systems gained popularity over the last few years, following reports that millions were being spent in replacing cables damaged by the teeth of rats, after numerous cancellations and delays were caused across the UK’s 20,000 mile stretch of railways.
Now, nylon is gaining further recognition by preventing theft-related disruption on our transport systems by providing an alternative which doesn’t compromise on strength. With nylon lacking any appeal for thieves seeking metal, PMA’s products are saving thousands of commuters hassle, as well as millions of pounds being spent on compensation and replacement cabling.
The scale of the recent theft of metal cable protection is forcing the hand of specifiers, as the British Transport Police say it’s their second biggest problem after terrorism, with levels of theft related to the price of copper, which is currently fetching £5,000 per tonne. On 3rd February, Nottingham Crown Court heard that the theft of 82ft (25m) of cable near Crankley Point, Newark, in October 2010, cost rail companies £75,000 in damage and delays. The copper was subsequently sold by the defendants for £44.
Mark Fletcher comments: “Rail companies simply cannot afford the costs and delays associated with this vandalism, but we have a simple, easily installed solution to the problem already widely available and we hope PMA’s products can eliminate this crime from being committed altogether and contribute towards a more reliable, cost-effective rail system.
“Nylon cable protection has become very popular amongst Central Europe’s National Rail operators and is used to ensure reliability and long system life while saving time and cost in installation.”
For more information, visit www.pma.ch or call Donna Clash at PMA’s UK head office on 01264 333 527 or email sales@pma-uk.com
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