More than £581,000 in rail disruption was caused by two Notts men who stole metal cabling – which they sold for just £43.45p.
Boughton men Richard Yates and Dean March took 80 metres of the cable from the East Coast Mainline close to Retford Railway station in April.
The theft caused huge disruption affecting 129 trains on the day.
Around 2,900 minutes of delays were caused across the network and after repairs the cost to the industry stood at £581,000.
After the theft on Sunday, April 12, police found March’s DNA on tools near to where the cable was taken.
Yates was arrested after weighing it in at a scrap dealership, which paid him £43.45p.
The two men were sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court after pleading guilty.
Photo: Richard Yates was arrested after weighing in the cable at a scrap metal dealership
Detective Inspector Mick Dawes of British Transport Police, said: “Both March and Yates targeted one of the busiest railway lines in the country which resulted in travel disruption and misery for thousands of passengers that day.
“Their actions not only inconvenienced passengers but also cost the rail industry hundreds of thousands of pounds in costs and repairs, which ultimately can be passed on to the fare-paying passenger.”
Picture: Dean March was caught when his DNA was found on tools close to the line
Mark Tarry, route managing director at Network Rail said: “This case demonstrates just how costly cable theft from the railway can be.”
