Yorkshire train passengers face delays after signalling cable theft

Signalling cable theft at Conisbrough disrupts Sheffield–Doncaster services on New Year's Eve, causing delays and cancellations across CrossCountry, Northern and TransPennine Express.

Network Rail said the theft of signalling cables at Conisbrough has disrupted rail services between Sheffield and Doncaster on New Year's Eve. All three operators running on the route — CrossCountry, Northern and TransPennine Express — reported delays and some cancellations. Impact on services Northern and TransPennine Express services are likely to be delayed by up to 30 minutes between Doncaster and Sheffield, while CrossCountry warned of delays of up to 15 minutes. Network Rail explained that theft of signalling equipment reduces capacity and requires trains to be guided more slowly and manually by signallers. Investigation and wider context Network Rail said it had staff on site and that British Transport Police were expected to investigate the incident. The organisation noted that cable theft costs the public millions of pounds each year and that incidents have risen sharply, likely linked to higher raw-material values such as copper. In 2025 there have been more than 102 incidents of live cables being stolen across the railway, causing 104,737 minutes of train delays and costing £5.1m; Network Rail cited previous figures of 108 incidents in 2024 causing 69,275 minutes of delays costing £3.3m, and 73 incidents in 2023 causing 46,464 minutes of delays costing £3.7m. Network Rail also referenced a June incident when copper cable theft on the Eurostar line between London and Paris disrupted thousands of passengers. Advice for passengers Passengers may wish to check their operator’s live travel updates before setting out, allow extra time for journeys, consider alternative routes where available, and contact their operator’s customer services for information on refunds or changes if their travel is affected.