According to Jernbaneverket, criminals targeting traditional copper cable have been deterred by the new cabling, which has a toughened plastic coating that can only be stripped using specialist tools. Furthermore, aluminium has only around a quarter of the scrap value of copper.
"This has been enormously inspiring for us, we see that it works, and it really pays to test new options," says Østfold line power supply manager Mr Jan Prang. "Copper thefts cost the railway a lot of money and if we install aluminium cables in the most vulnerable locations we can redirect our spending to maintenance activities."
Jernbaneverket says it has experienced six incidents of cable theft so far this year on the Sarpsborg – Skjeberg section of the line alone.
Following the success of the trial, which began in April, the cables will now undergo type approval to allow their use across the Norwegian railway network.
