Over the past month, copper cables and metal to the value of R2 million have been stolen from the Forest Hill train depot in Port Elizabeth.

According to police spokesman Captain Stanley Jarvis, the cables and metal were taken from an electrical sub-station at the Humerail Transnet depot.

“According to the supervisor at Transnet, he had gone down to the substation for his monthly inspection when he arrived he found one of the windows shattered and burglar bars bent backwards,” said Jarvis.

“The electricity transformer in the depot was totally stripped of all its wires and other metal inside the depot was stolen.”

The SA Chamber of Commerce and Industry have stated that copper theft in the country in July alone cost businesses an estimated R19.7 million, a huge increase compared to June which saw the cost at about R17.9 million.

Between April 2006 and December 2011, a staggering R3.12 billion was lost due to copper cable theft which affected large parastatal companies such as Transnet, Metrorail and The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA).

Freight rail and passenger rail have seen numerous delays over the years as a result of cable theft.