Trespass, cable theft and vandalism caused more than 2,000 hours of delays on the East Coast rail route last year, new figures have revealed.

Network Rail East Coast and LNER are backing a new rail industry campaign aimed at cracking down on railway crime and warning offenders about the potentially serious consequences.

The Crime with Consequences campaign highlights that those caught trespassing or committing crimes on the railway could face substantial fines or even prison sentences.

Its launch comes as figures show trespass, vandalism and cable crime resulted in more than 2,000 hours of delays – equivalent to almost 85 days – across the East Coast route during 2025/26.

Trespass alone accounted for 100,755 delay minutes in the 12 months to March 2026, equivalent to almost 1,700 hours of disruption.

A further 304 hours of delays were caused by 14 cable theft incidents, while 48 incidents involving vandalism and obstruction resulted in another 54 hours of disruption.

Network Rail says trespass is one of the biggest causes of disruption on the railway, affecting passengers and train performance as well as freight services, railway staff and communities.

A number of measures are being introduced in an attempt to tackle the problem.

On the East Coast route, additional investment is being made in proactive patrols and improved fencing at known trespass hotspots.

Across the wider rail network, drones, sensors and smart CCTV are also being used to identify offenders.

Rail organisations are also seeking to improve the collection of evidence to support prosecutions and make greater use of victim impact statements to demonstrate the consequences railway crime and the resulting delays can have on passengers.

Gunnar Lindahl, joint operations director for Network Rail and LNER, said: "Behind every delay caused by railway crime are people who are not able to complete their journeys on time.

"Cable theft, vandalism and obstruction aren't victimless crimes, they're crimes against the millions of people who rely on the rail network every day.

"We're working more closely than ever with our partners across the rail industry and British Transport Police, using new technology, from concealed tracking devices to smart CCTV, to detect offences more quickly and support investigations.

"We've also increased proactive patrols across the East Coast route to deter offenders, gather intelligence and help keep passengers and railway workers safe."

British Transport Police has also warned that people entering railway infrastructure risk serious injury or death.

Superintendent Darren Malpas said: "This important campaign highlights both the dangers and consequences of criminal activity on the rail network.

"Those involved must understand that railway infrastructure is extremely dangerous. Anyone trespassing on the railway or attempting to steal cable risks serious injury or death.

"Through closer collaboration, improved intelligence, new technology and stronger evidence gathering, we're working tirelessly to identify offenders, bring them to justice and protect the communities and passengers who rely on the railway every day."

The campaign forms part of wider efforts by the rail industry to reduce trespass and railway crime and will operate alongside the existing No Second Chances rail safety programme.