During the past week, the Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) has reported at least five instances of copper wire theft near track signals, switches and rail crossings. The agency notes most of the theft has taken place along the R Line, which runs between Peoria Station in Aurora and Lincoln Station in Lone Tree, Colo.
Each incident has resulted in significant impacts to light-rail service, including train delays, crossing arms staying active in the down position and the need for bus shuttles. The agency is also investigating multiple cases of thieves targeting copper wire along the A and G commuter rail lines. A wire theft on July 29 along the A Line has resulted in signal issues and the need for bus shuttles between Denver Union Station and Central Park Station.
Denver RTD’s copper wires provide connections to a low-voltage system that powers signals at rail crossings, as well as high-voltage circuits that energize trains through the overhead wires. According to the agency, most of the recent thefts have happened overnight and the thieves are striking at different locations across the system’s 120 miles of track.
The agency notes the copper wire thefts resemble a similar trend that disrupted Denver RTD’s rail services in 2022. Following a spike in copper wire thefts at that time, Denver RTD implemented additional methods to discourage would-be thieves. The agency started embedding the copper wire in railroad crossties, installing wooden covers and greasing the wires to make them less valuable. The agency has also piloted adding tracking devices to copper wire coils across the system.
Denver RTD says the demand for copper has created a market for thieves to target critical infrastructure across the world. In the U.S. and Canada, multiple transit agencies have recently reported an increase in copper wire thefts.
The agency is asking customers and the public to report any suspicious behavior they may observe on or near the system’s tracks.
