Thieves have stolen cables on Line 132 near Walcourt station, disrupting signalling and making it impossible for trains to travel between Charleroi and Walcourt, the railway infrastructure management utility, Infrabel, reported on Monday evening.
The theft was observed on Monday, shortly after 6 p.m. The damage still needed to be assessed and traffic will therefore not resume until Tuesday morning at the earliest, the utility said.
The thieves went after the cables in various places and the damage is significant, said Infrabel spokesperson Frédéric Sacré.
“Traffic is currently impossible between Charleroi and Walcourt,” he explained. “On the other hand, the trains are running well between Walcourt and Couvin.”
This is the second theft of cables from the network in one day. Around 2:30 p.m. on Monday, a first one was observed at the exit of Charleroi station, on Line 124A in the direction of Marchienne-au-Pont. However, the impact on rail users was limited by alternating traffic on a single track.
Repairs are scheduled for Tuesday.
Since the beginning of the year, cable theft has increased sharply, causing disruptions on the rail network.
