Central line cable theft near Theydon Bois disrupted London Underground services between Epping and Loughton, affecting thousands of passengers after trackside equipment was damaged overnight.

Central line trains at Epping Underground Station
Archive photo of Central line trains at Epping Underground Station. Photo: Stacey Harris / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

The incident happened while trains were not running. Copper cable was removed from the railway infrastructure, with repair work continuing during the day.

Central line disruption between Epping and Loughton

Passengers travelling beyond Loughton were advised to use an emergency shuttle and change there for onward connections. Transport for London also arranged replacement services during the disruption.

Tickets were accepted on London Buses and Greater Anglia services between Liverpool Street and Harlow Town while repairs continued.

TfL reported minor delays elsewhere on the Central line and said further disruption was likely on the affected section during the day while engineers repaired the damage.

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Theydon Bois cable theft investigation

British Transport Police said officers were called at around 9.50pm on Wednesday, August 26, following reports of cable theft in the Theydon Bois area. The investigation remained ongoing.

A British Transport Police spokesman said:

“We were called at around 9.50pm on Wednesday August 26 to reports of cable theft in the Theydon Bois area. An investigation is ongoing.

“Anyone with information that could help police should text BTP on 61016 using the reference 847 of 26 August.”

Transport for London apologised to passengers and confirmed that repairs were underway near Theydon Bois.

A TfL spokesman said:

“We apologise to customers on the Central line for the disruption to their journeys this morning.

“This was caused by the theft of cable near Theydon Bois, which is currently being repaired.

“Once we have repaired the damage, we will work to provide a good service as quickly as we can. The theft has been reported to the British Transport Police.”

The Epping–Loughton section remained closed during the disruption, with passengers directed to alternative services while repairs continued.

What is known about the service

TfL’s live information on August 28 showed Central line trains operating towards Epping from Loughton, after the earlier closure between the two stations while vandalism-related damage was repaired. The current TfL status listed minor delays on the Central line due to train cancellations rather than the earlier closure, indicating that the incident-related suspension was no longer being shown as the active service restriction.

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