Copper cables attached to rail joints on two JR lines in Yamaguchi Prefecture were cut and taken away, affecting service.The damage was estimated to reach approximately 150 locations on the two lines. I learned this through an interview with JR West.
From February 7th to 8th,
a copper cable called "Rail Bond" was installed at the joint of the rails
at the premises of Achisu Station on the JR Ube Line in Yamaguchi City and
on the JR Sanyo Main Line in Ube City.
One after another, more than 100 of them were found to have been cut off.
"Rail Bond" is a bundle of copper wires attached to the joints in order to pass current through the rails, and both ends fixed to the rails were cut off and taken away.
A subsequent investigation revealed that cables were damaged
in about 110 locations within a 1,600 meter radius on the Ube Line,
and in approximately 40 locations across a 210 meter radius on the Sanyo Main Line, according to an interview with JR West.
Since the rail bonds on both sides of the track have been severed, the damage is estimated to be approximately 300 lines, and police are investigating the matter as a possible theft.