[ad_1]
Theft of copper wires running throughout the Los Angeles region had a major impact on the world’s longest light rail line on Wednesday.
The LA Metro A-Line was the victim of the wire theft, leaving multiple stations from Carson to Long Beach without power, from around 8am, officials said.
The blackout and related issues with communication and signalling systems caused more than 20 minutes of delay from Rosa Parks Station in Willowbrook through downtown Long Beach.
Copper theft has caused tens of millions of dollars in damage across Southern California, and passenger rail and commuter train systems are among the most targeted by vandals.
Metroline Station is located directly opposite Azusa’s Target Store. (KTLA)
Train systems use copper wire as part of critical communications and signaling infrastructure. Vandalism against these lines is one of the most expensive costs facing local public transport systems and can take days to months to fully repair them.
As of 4:30pm on Wednesday, Metro crews were trying to resolve the electrical issues and associated delays that were around 15-20 minutes at the affected station.
The A-line runs nearly 50 miles through Los Angeles County, linking Azusa to the north with Long Beach to the south. The expansion of the line to Pomona in the north is expected to be completed later this year.
In addition to being the longest light rail line in the world, it is also the busiest, oldest line in the Metro.
[ad_2]Source link
