Rail chiefs have branded the impact cable thieves are having on passengers in the Life area “misery.”

An alliance between South West Trains and Network Rail has revealed the cost and disruption to local rail-users that scrap metal thieves are inflicting across the network.

Across the rail operator's Sussex network, which includes the Brighton to London main line and covers Redhill, Horley, Salfords, Gatwick, Merstham, Earlswood and Nutfield, the number of crimes has remained level, while the costs of the cable thefts have more than doubled.

In the last financial year, the Sussex network suffered three incidents, but they translated into disruption of more than 1,300 minutes to passengers.

Network Rail said that meant the amount of compensation they had to pay out more than doubled from £30,081 to £86,914.

But the news was much worse for the rail operator's Wessex network, which on a secondary route covers Redhill, Reigate and Betchworth.

Wessex in the last financial year has seen the number of crimes jump by more than 50% on the previous year, with disruption to passengers of more than 18,000 minutes.

Network Rail said the rise to 13 crimes from eight had cost the industry, and ultimately the taxpayer and passengers, nearly £800,000 in the last 12 months, and delayed passengers by 18,443 minutes.

In the year 2010 to 2011, those figures were £140,423 in compensation, and delays of 3,536 minutes.

Mark Ruddy, Network Rail’s route managing director for Sussex, said: “Cable theft is a major issue across the railway.”

Mr Ruddy said: “ It causes delays to passengers and costs the industry millions of pounds every year.

“Thankfully, the number of incidents in Sussex is low compared to other parts of the country, but there are ultimately costs to the taxpayer and passengers when incidents occur.”

He said: “We firmly believe that without legal reform we will continue to see further delays and millions of pounds in compensation being paid when dealing with these crimes.”

South West Trains and Network Rail said they believe full legislative reform is needed to stop the cost, delays and misery to passengers caused by cable thieves, and to stem the tide of metal theft crime.

Speaking for the South West Trains and Network Rail alliance, managing director Tim Shoveller, said: “Crimes and delay to passengers have both increased in the last year and are at an unacceptably high level.”

He said: “We firmly believe that without legal reform we will continue to see thousands of hours delay to passengers and pay millions of pounds in compensation dealing with these crimes.”

The Government has indicated that cash transactions for scrap metal will be outlawed.

However, Network Rail and the wider rail industry are calling for full reform of the 1964 Scrap Metal Dealers Act.

They have said the reform needs to include an updated, fully-funded licensing scheme to replace the voluntary registration currently in place, giving magistrates the power to impose restrictions upon, and ultimately enforce the closure of, yards that fail to keep to the law, and giving the police powers to enter, inspect and, if necessary, close scrap dealers.

At present they may only enter registered premises with a warrant.

The rail industry is also calling for the reform to include a requirement for scrap metal dealers to require proof of identity and to keep adequate records about their customers, and for additional requirements on itinerant metal dealers’ vehicle licences, to enable those operating outside the law to be impounded.

Network Rail has invested millions of pounds protecting key locations and funding extra British Transport Police (BTP) officers.

This has combined with public support in reporting criminals and improved sentencing in courts.

Mr Shoveller said: “We are grateful for the public support we continue to receive in reporting suspicious activity – both on the railway and at disreputable scrap dealers.

“We will continue to do all we can to stop these thieves, but it is clear the law needs substantial change in order to take away the easy market for illegal scrap.”

Tony Berkeley, chairman of the Rail Freight Group, said: “Cable theft continues to cause major delay to freight trains on a daily basis.”

He said: “Although this doesn’t often hit the headlines in the way that passenger delays do, it is causing significant problems for freight operators and their customers, who include national retailers, power generators and construction companies.

“The cost of disruption is significant and impacts on their businesses, their employees, and ultimately the whole UK economy.”

He added: “We are pleased that UK Government has taken the first steps in tackling cable theft, alongside the continued efforts of the rail industry - but further action will be required if the impacts of cable theft are to be eliminated.”

Gary Cooper, head of operations at the Association of Train Operating Companies, said: “Cable theft regularly causes disruption for thousands of passengers and costs the taxpayer millions, so it is good news that the Government is taking action to crack down on illegal scrap metal dealing.”

Mr Cooper said: “Train companies are working closely with the rest of the industry to tackle the problem, and this is an important step in helping us to succeed.

“But further changes to the law now need to be made to create a robust new licensing regime covering all scrap yards, giving police and councils the power to search and investigate them, and to close down any dealers involved in theft."

Assistant chief constable Alan Pacey of the BTP, said: “BTP is committed to tackling metal theft, particularly those thefts which have a direct impact on the running of the railway.

“We have officers dedicated to dealing with metal theft, and, during 2011, arrested more than 1,000 people in connection with these crimes.”

He said: “In the past few months, convicted metal thieves have been jailed for a total of more than 58 years thanks to British Transport Police investigations.

“We will continue to disrupt and detect thieves who target the railway, and will not hesitate to put them before the courts and seek the strongest possible sanctions.”

Compensation costs are paid to train and freight operators for the disruption caused by delay.

This payment is to reimburse the operators, who pay in advance for access to the track, which the theft has prevented, to cover additional staff and other costs, and to reimburse passengers who have been affected.

Compensation is a substantial part of the cost to the industry of cable theft but does not include the cost of staff time to repair and replace the cable, replacement cable itself and the cost of mitigation measures such as security patrols and investment in new technology.

The amount of compensation paid depends on the type of services delayed.

Network Rail is the not-for-dividend owner and operator of Britain's railway infrastructure, which includes the tracks, signals, tunnels, bridges, viaducts, level crossings and stations - the largest of which it also manages.

Website: www.networkrail.co.uk