Cases of copper theft have become more frequent in Europe, affecting the railway network

Recently, European passengers have heard about train postponements or delays due to unfavorable weather conditions or recent labor strikes. However, these problems have been compounded by reported cases of theft of copper, which is widely used in the railroad network.

This metal is part of the railroad's infrastructure and is used in plumbing, telecommunications, and other places. It is noted that trains with copper cable lines can be robbed in particularly remote areas where there is a low chance of being caught, according to Fodors Travel Guide.

According to Deutsche Bahn, a German railroad carrier, in 2023, the company recorded 450 cases of metal theft. As a result, delays lasted 40,000 minutes, costing the company 7 million euros. At the same time, Aurubis, a German company that is one of the world's largest copper suppliers, reported losses of millions of euros due to thefts at its facilities.

It is also known that in the UK, similar incidents in the period from 2022 to 2023 resulted in losses of $15 million, and France lost 20 million euros in 2022. To make things more difficult for criminals, railroad operators are introducing experimental technologies to control copper products.

For example, SelectaMark, a leading asset tracking company, uses SelectaDNA and MetallicDNA technologies to provide cable location tracking services to rail networks in the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK.

"Criminals know that DNA links them to crimes. Anything that is DNA-marked or secured immediately becomes a harder target in the mind of the criminal. So it works very well as a deterrent," said James Brown, CEO of SelectaDNA.