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Massive Copper Cable Theft In Queens Disrupts Entire A, C Train Lines

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Commuting was a miserable experience Wednesday for riders of the A and C trains Wednesday, after a massive copper cable theft near Howard Beach, Queens.

And as CBS2's Tracee Carrasco reported, A Train passengers were stranded again late Wednesday, with shuttle buses their only option, as repair work continued. The work was expected to continue overnight, but 1010 WINS reported the MTA believes the repair work will be done by the time the Thursday morning commute comes around.

Service on the A Line was partially restored by late morning, and there was regular subway service for the evening commute. But more track work will done starting at 10 p.m., at which time shuttle service was placed back into use.

For more information, visit www.mta.info.

As CBS2's Hazel Sanchez reported, Metropolitan Transportation Authority rapid response crews were worked feverishly late Wednesday afternoon and night to repair damaged tracks in Howard Beach.

"Last night, a northbound A Train lost power just North of Howard Beach, at which time we discovered that there was a theft of a substantial amount of copper cable in that area," said MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz.

MTA Spokesman Kevin Ortiz Live On 1010 WINS

Police late Wednesday were trying to find who risked their life on the high-voltage tracks to steal more than 500 feet of valuable copper wire from 12 different locations around 11 p.m. Tuesday. Some signal equipment and track components were also damaged by electrical current that could not flow through the cable, officials said.

"An A train running from the Rockaways, just kind of north of the Howard Beach station, when it stopped, it couldn't get any power from the tracks," MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg said.

MTA: Queens A Train Service Disruption Caused By Massive Copper Cable Theft

The power cable theft disrupted service on the entire A and C lines during the morning commute.

The Howard Beach station was shut down, and service was suspended between Rockaway Boulevard and Broad Channel stations and replaced with shuttle buses during the morning rush.

"This morning's service disruption was directly caused by the theft of cable from along the subway right of way," said MTA New York City Transit President Carmen Bianco. "This led to delays and crowding along all 31 miles of the A train, and forced thousands of Rockaways customers to use shuttle buses to get to work. We are working closely with the NYPD Transit Bureau to help them investigate this crime and identify the culprits responsible."

MTA Subway Copper Cable Vandalism
The MTA says sections of cable were vandalized and stolen from the A line south of Howard Beach late in the evening of Tue., May 26, 2015. (Photo: MTA New York City Transit / Marc A. Hermann)
MTA Subway Copper Cable Vandalism
The MTA says sections of cable were vandalized and stolen from the A line south of Howard Beach late in the evening of Tue., May 26, 2015. (Photo: MTA New York City Transit/Marc A. Hermann/Flickr)
MTA Subway Copper Cable Vandalism
The MTA says sections of cable were vandalized and stolen from the A line south of Howard Beach late in the evening of Tue., May 26, 2015. (Photo: MTA New York City Transit / Marc A. Hermann)
MTA Subway Copper Cable Vandalism
The MTA says sections of cable were vandalized and stolen from the A line south of Howard Beach late in the evening of Tue., May 26, 2015. (Photo: MTA New York City Transit / Marc A. Hermann)

Thousands of Rockaway Peninsula customers, such as Jim Capatano, were forced to use the shuttle buses to get to work or home.

"Debris on the tracks we had over the weekend, and we had signal failures, but this. This is a new one," Capatano said. "This is, like, deliberate sabotage. So it's like, what's next, you know?

Pedro Ramos was just one stop away from his Howard Beach train stop Tuesday night when the service was brought to a halt. His usual five-minute walk turned into an hour.

"Pretty upset and tired, basically; you know, what can you do? Things happen like this and you have to deal with it. Have an alternative," he said. "So I found one – I've got two legs, so I walked."

Many commuters also had to wait for shuttle buses coming back.

"It was just a mess," said Darren Johnson, who was half an hour late getting to work. "Everybody was late for work."

"We waited for like 45 minutes for the A Train," added commuter Wendy Romain. "I was very late for work; my daughters were very late for school."

Commuters were even more annoyed that the whole problem was apparently caused by a theft.

"It's horrible," Romain said. "You know? Everyone has to be inconvenienced for something so crazy."

Massive Copper Cable Theft In Queens Disrupts Entire A, C Train Lines

Commuter Blanca Acevedo said she had no choice but to be pragmatic.

"I'm from New York," she said, "and we have to figure it out, any way we can."

A state lawmaker who represents the area where the thefts occurred wrote to MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast demanding an investigation.

"I am alarmed by reported security breaches along the A train and the failure to put in place effective alternative travel plans for our families,'' Assemblyman Philip Goldfeder said.

Meanwhile, the MTA said it knows thieves are stealing its copper for cash, and the agency said it is making moves to make sure it does not happen again.

"We are in the process of procuring heat sensor infrared TVs and cameras that will go a long way towards monitoring areas of the right of way so that we can detect when a theft is in progress," Ortiz said.

Thefts of copper to be sold as scrap have plagued railroads and utilities across the country. Copper was trading for about $2.80 a pound Wednesday.

More than a dozen employees of the Long Island Rail Road were arrested in 2013 on charges they conspired to sell $250,000 worth of copper wire over a three-year period.

People prosecuted for copper theft in New York state can be sentenced to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison or more for grand larceny.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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