Last updated 12:06, Wednesday, 20 August 2008

TRAIN passengers are having slower journeys on the Furness rail line because thieves keep stealing vital equipment.

Solar panels necessary to power monitoring equipment on the Leven viaduct have been snatched three times by thieves.

Now Network Rail hopes it will be a case of fourth time lucky as it bids to complete vital monitoring work.

It wants to increase the speed of trains over the Leven viaduct to 60mph following the £14m revamp and redecking of the viaduct two years ago.

But before it can raise speeds over the viaduct from the present 30mph limit, Network Rail has to collect and analyse enough data to show the viaduct is now fit for higher speed.

The Furness Line Action Group has been pressing the rail track owner to increase the speed.

An internal Network Rail email shown by the company to Flag read: “Leven Viaduct was fitted with monitoring equipment which would enable us to lift the speed if we had positive results. Unfortunately this equipment went missing three times and therefore flawed the data collection.

“To allow a period of monitoring, it will be at least August before we can analyse the data.

“Not sure what the attraction is but if they keep nicking the equipment, the speed will never go up.”

Network Rail spokesman Keith Lumley revealed to the Evening Mail that the equipment that kept getting stolen was solar panels powering the monitoring equipment.

It is understood extra precautions have been set in place by the company to allow the exercise to finally be completed.

In its latest newsletter Flag says: “We are rather disappointed that two years after completion of the £14m deck replacement, the 30mph speed restriction is still in force.”

It said it hoped the British Transport Police had been brought in to solve the viaduct thefts.