CABLE from a Newport railway line was stolen and damaged in two separate incidents over the weekend costing Network Rail around £250,000.

The two incidents led to a total loss of signalling between Newport and Severn Tunnel Junction causing long delays for passengers.

Network Rail and Crimestoppers are now offering a reward of up to £1,000 for information.

Around 20 metres of core cables were stolen and another 150 metres of cables cut.

The cable was damaged at Maindee Depot on Caerleon Road at around 10pm on Saturday and less than 24 hours later officers were called out to the same line at around 7pm on Sunday after reports that cable had been stolen from East Usk Junction on Caerleon Road. The cable was later recovered by officers nearby.

Both incidents caused severe delays and disruption to passengers over the weekend and into yesterday.

Passengers travelling to Newport yesterday had suffered delays of up to 45 minutes and more than 6,000 minutes of delays were recorded from the two incidents.

Within 19 hours, 22 services were fully cancelled; 49 part-cancelled and 216 trains delayed.

These latest incidents come after a string of similar cable-related crimes on the railways in Gwent.

The Argus reported in October last year how £12,000 worth of live copper wire had been stolen from signal boxes between Newport and Seven Tunnel Junction.

British Transport Police Detective Inspector Mark Cleland said around one quarter of all cable-related crimes on the railways in South Wales were carried out in the Newport area.

He said they are treating these latest incidents as criminal damage with intent to endanger safety on the railways.

DI Cleland said: “Because offenders can only access the cable by going right up to the tracks, there is a real risk they could be struck by a passing train or electrocuted, as some of the cables carry large amounts of electrical current.

“Those stealing cable are not only risking a court appearance, they’re risking their lives.”

Mark Langman, route director for Network Rail said: "The thoughtless and dangerous actions of these individuals has resulted in massive disruption for thousands of passengers travelling between England and Wales and taken the time of limited railway resources that are normally employed elsewhere improving the railway. There has been severe damage to the cables and our engineers have been working round the clock since last evening to restore services to normal."

The reward is information which leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the incidents over the weekend.

Anyone with information should call 0800 405040 quoting B5/WWA of 07/02/2011 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.