Cable Thieves Cripple Malaysia’s Trains: Millions Are In New Dire Situations Speeds Slashed To Crawl

Published on August 12, 2025 |

Cable theft has progressively disrupted Malaysia’s railway services, peculiarly affecting nan bluish commuter assemblage known arsenic Komuter Utara and nan nationwide Electric Train Service (ETS). These services, operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM), person faced repeated incidents wherever captious signalling and powerfulness cables are stolen, starring to slower train speeds, delays, and dense financial losses.

The superior target of these thefts is copper wiring housed wrong nan cables. Copper holds important resale worth successful illicit markets, making it a communal target for thieves. The wave of specified thefts has reached a troubling level, pinch aggregate incidents occurring each week, causing operational strain and frustrating thousands of regular passengers.

The Human Impact connected Daily Travel

Among those astir affected are regular commuters for illustration administrative clerk Shakira Banu Abdul Hamid. Her regular travel from Alor Setar successful Kedah to Sungai Petani spans astir 60 kilometres and usually takes astir half an hour. Earlier successful 2025, contempt arriving astatine nan position connected time, she reached activity 2 hours precocious erstwhile a cablegram theft caused her train to beryllium delayed by 90 minutes.

Such experiences person go communal for passengers. In 2024, KTM recorded astir 15 cablegram theft cases each period nationwide. Between January and July 2025, this mean roseate somewhat to 16 incidents monthly, meaning almost 4 thefts hap each week. Each lawsuit requires an extended repair process that tin return a afloat time to complete, prolonging work disruptions.

How Cable Theft Disrupts Operations

The nonaccomplishment of signalling cables instantly triggers nan railway’s information systems, which slow trains drastically to forestall accidents. Komuter Utara trains, which usually scope speeds of 120 km/h, are constricted to 25 km/h erstwhile cables are stolen. The ETS, tin of 140 km/h, is besides reduced to 25 km/h successful specified situations.

These slowdowns origin cascading delays crossed nan network. In 2024, Komuter Utara transported 5.5 cardinal passengers, while ETS carried 4.1 million. Even a azygous theft tin impact thousands of travellers and disrupt aggregate services passim nan day.

Why Copper Is a Target for Thieves

The powerfulness and signalling cables utilized by Malaysia’s electrified railway strategy are made pinch copper, a metallic that is valuable connected nan resale market. According to KTM auxiliary constabulary main Superintendent Harizan Hassan, conscionable 200 metres of stolen cablegram tin beryllium sold for betwixt RM5,000 and RM10,000.

Between January 2024 and March 2025, cablegram theft successful nan bluish assemblage unsocial resulted successful RM1.44 cardinal successful losses. Investigations uncover that galore of nan offenders are supplier addicts seeking speedy costs to prolong their habits. The comparatively precocious payoff and nan easiness pinch which cables tin beryllium removed person contributed to nan persistence of this crime.

Large-Scale Incidents

One of nan astir terrible disruptions occurred successful June 2025, erstwhile 3 cablegram thefts took spot connected nan aforesaid day. These incidents affected 5 ETS services and disrupted Komuter Utara schedules. In total, 350 metres of cablegram were stolen crossed 3 abstracted routes. Trains travelling betwixt Sungkai successful Perak and Butterworth successful Penang were delayed by betwixt 30 and 115 minutes.

Such incidents person lasting effects. While contiguous repairs are made, nan changes to train timetables and allocations often return further clip to return to normal.

Measures Implemented by KTM

To reside this persistent issue, KTM has launched a bid of preventive measures. In March 2025, nan usability began sealing entrances to underground cablegram channels astatine 60 locations crossed Malaysia to forestall unauthorised access.

Technology is besides being tested to combat nan problem. Sensors and vibration discovery devices are being trialled to supply real-time alerts erstwhile tampering is detected. In business pinch nan Railway Assets Corporation, CCTV cameras are being installed to amended monitoring capabilities on railway routes.

Security patrols are being expanded. KTM has announced plans to enlistee 100 much auxiliary constabulary officers, bringing nan full to 700. These officers will behaviour unscheduled patrols, making it harder for thieves to run undetected.

Signs of Progress successful Kedah

Some of these initiatives person shown early results. Kedah, nan authorities pinch nan highest number of cablegram theft cases successful 2024 astatine 56 incidents, has recorded a important diminution successful 2025. Since a associated cognition betwixt KTM auxiliary constabulary and nan Royal Malaysia Police began successful March, thefts dropped from 11 cases successful January to conscionable 2 successful June.

The collaboration included intelligence sharing and associated patrols, resulting successful 15 arrests successful Kedah during this period. Nationwide, arrests for cablegram theft roseate from 11 successful 2024 to 24 successful 2025.

Broader Risks and Implications

Cable theft is much than a financial aliases operational issue; it is besides a matter of nationalist safety. Missing signalling cables discuss nan railway’s expertise to negociate train movements efficiently. While automated information systems slow trains successful these situations, prolonged reliance connected specified measures strains nan web and increases nan imaginable for quality error.

The financial load of replacing stolen cables and reinforcing infrastructure is significant. Funds that could beryllium allocated to improving services, upgrading trains, aliases reducing fares must alternatively beryllium spent connected repairs and further security. For passengers, nan astir visible consequences are longer recreation times, uncertainty astir presence schedules, and nan accent of missed obligations.

The Road Ahead

KTM acknowledges that solving nan cablegram theft problem will require sustained effort. The existent strategy combines beingness information measures, precocious discovery technology, and stronger rule enforcement presence. Repair times person already improved, pinch nan mean reduced from 30 hours successful 2024 to 23 hours successful 2025. Still, each incident represents a disruption that affects some nan institution and its passengers.

The eventual nonsubjective is to trim some nan wave of thefts and nan clip required to reconstruct afloat service. Continued collaboration pinch rule enforcement, finance successful technology, and nationalist consciousness campaigns are expected to shape portion of nan semipermanent approach.

Cable theft continues to situation Malaysia’s railway network, causing costly delays and undermining nationalist confidence. Although early signs of betterment are visible successful immoderate regions, nan problem remains widespread. The operation of targeted policing, preventive infrastructure measures, and precocious surveillance exertion offers nan champion chance of safeguarding nan country’s obstruction services from further disruption.