Yorkshire rail route named worst in UK for thieves, vandals and trespassing

A Yorkshire train route has been named as the worst in the UK for trespassing incidents - after rail bosses said thieves and vandals caused nearly five months of delays to passengers last year.

The North and East route, which runs across Yorkshire, the North East and the Pennines, had 150 incidents of trespassing, cable theft, vandalism and obstruction last year.

It was followed by the North West route with 123 incidents and the Wessex line with 102 incidents.

Network Rail is working with the British Transport Police (BTP), using drones, sensors and smart CCTV technology, to identify trespassers faster and more consistently.

A new campaign, Crime With Consequences, launched on Tuesday, will reinforce collaboration between the rail industry and police, and improve the collection of evidence to strengthen prosecutions against offenders.

It will also increase the focus on victim impact statements to help show the consequences of delays caused by railway crime.

Figures released by Network Rail showed trespass-related crime caused more than 3,300 hours, or nearly five months, of delays to rail passengers in 2025/26.

This caused more than £10 million in delay costs for the rail sector.

These costs correspond to the amount of money Network Rail provides to train operators to compensate for delays related to its tracks.

The figures showed cable theft alone caused more than 2,100 hours of delays and delay costs doubled to £6.8 million in 2025/26.

Thefts can damage signalling mechanisms and overhead wires, resulting in potentially lengthy delays for both passengers and freight services.

Network Rail has introduced measures to tackle trespass-related crime, including the use of hidden trespass beads in its cables in the North West to track down offenders.

It also committed a £110,000 investment earlier in September to tackle cable theft, vandalism and trespass on the East Coast Main Line through more security patrols.

The use of drones, sensors and CCTV across the network has also helped the organisation and police to identify and catch offenders.

Anit Chandarana, director for system operator at Network Rail, said: “Behind every one of these delays caused by railway crime is someone not being able to get home to their family, another person late to a job interview, or food stuck on its way to a supermarket shelf.

“Cable theft, vandalism and obstruction aren’t victimless crimes, they’re crimes against the millions of people who rely on the rail network every day.”

Rail minister Lord Hendy said: “Trespassing causes delay and frustration for thousands of passengers every year and stops people going about their daily lives.

“Anyone doing this on the railway is also putting themselves at serious risk of injury or death.”

He added: “Make no mistake, offenders will be brought to justice quickly, helping to reduce disruption across the network and keep passengers moving.”