Severe disruption expected on Lancashire rail line after Christmas theft of £100k power cables

Network Rail has warned passengers to be prepared for delays to services travelling between Chorley and Bolton throughout Sunday following the theft, with the rail operator forced to close the line in order to replace the cables and carry out tests on the system before reopening.

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With trains to Preston also impacted, Network Rail said that they are working with local police to find the culprits, with the stolen cable having previously provided electrical power to the new overhead line equipment installed as part of the new electrification of the line between Wigan and Bolton.

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"I am very sorry to passengers who will be impacted by the rail closure," Christian Irwin, Network Rail's capital delivery director, told the BBC. "We are working closely with the British Transport Police to provide additional security measures and to find and prosecute those accountable.”

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