Supervia customers have been following, and sadly registering, a number of irregularities in train operations due to the theft of cables and railway material, such as  track fastening pins that help to fix the tracks to the ground. Criminals illegally access the system and enter onto railway property to commit these criminal acts. The composition of these items - copper and iron - is interesting to the criminals as it can be easily resold on the black market.

The theft of cables disrupts all planning and jeopardizes train schedules, as the authorization to continue with the journey has to be given to the driver over the radio by the controllers working in our Operational Control Center (OCC) as the system is no longer automatic. The increase in the number of thefts, together with the significant and widening area in which these criminals are acting has led to a shortage in our replacement stock, creating an extra challenge for the maintenance team. The normal deadline for delivery of the material by our suppliers has also been delayed by the unpredictably long pandemic and the difficulty of all manufacturers to find labor.

As regards the theft of track fastening pins, their removal can put the railway in a vulnerable position increasing the risk for the continued circulation of trains. As a security measure, the trains have been running at a reduced speed in the area or, in more serious cases, the service in the affected area was suspended. Our technicians and security officers immediately identify whenever anything is missing when they carry out their daily inspections of the whole system, and the fastening pins are replaced straight away.

It should be highlighted that our security team do not have police powers. They carry out preventative actions, like circulating in the area, and they contact the appropriate authorities whenever necessary. In accordance with the concession contract, public safety comes under the jurisdiction of the State Government, who covers the Railway with their Railway Police Group. The cases of theft are reported and registered at the police station.

We truly regret that the lack of public safety around the railway system directly hinders the smooth running of trains and the thousands of people who use them. We are in urgent need of the public authorities to combat these crimes so that we can carry on offering this transport service top the population of Rio de Janeiro