DENVER — The Regional Transportation District’s G Line was disrupted Tuesday morning after suspects stole 14 feet of copper wire.

Service was disrupted for nearly five hours and riders experienced 15-minute delays. RTD said when disruptions like this do happen, they deploy buses for its riders.

"Law enforcement established a search perimeter for the area near Clear Creek and Federal Station,” RTD Public Communications Senior Specialist Tara Broghammer said.

RTD told Denver7 the suspects involved have not been found but detectives are conducting a follow-up investigation.

Copper wire thefts are not a new problem for RTD.

Back in 2024, 47 thefts were reported, followed by 31 last year,. With Tuesday’s theft, this is now the fifth case this year.

In 2024, an individual was arrested following an investigation.

Transit officials said copper theft is an industry-wide problem, driven by high demand for the material, with most thefts happening overnight.

“The demand for copper has created a market for thieves to target critical infrastructure around the world. In the U.S. and Canada, multiple transit agencies have also recently reported an increase in copper wire thefts, resulting in service disruptions,” Broghammer said.

With 120 miles of track, RTD has tried solutions like embedding the wires into asphalt, installing protective covers and even greasing cables to deter thieves.

Since 2024, RTD police has also established its own detective bureau enabling law enforcement to investigate and prosecute copper wire thefts among other crimes.

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Copper wire thefts continue to hit RTD after latest service line disruption

“Detectives are able to investigate these crimes across the entire service area spanning eight counties and 40 municipalities whereas a local partner agency may not have the resources available to see the investigations through,” Broghammer said.

RTD said its transit police has also engaged local resellers of copper wire to be on the lookout for copper wire resale and to contact the agency.

“RTD faces varying costs for labor and material replacement to restore service. While individual thefts range from several hundred to several thousand dollars in material, the total operational impact of today’s incident where an estimated 14 feet of copper wire was removed is still being calculated,” Broghammer said.

Riders are encouraged to sign up for RTD’s service alerts in the event disruptions occur.

The transit agency told Denver7, it remains committed to provide a safe environment for riders. RTD receives one security-related call for every 1,900 boardings across the entire system. This metric includes everything from reports of graffiti and drug activity to noise complaints and unattended bags.

“Recent metrics show security-related calls decreased year-over-year, and the agency continues to prioritize safety through patrolling of high-volume events and data-driven deployment of patrols to ensure the system remains a safe, comfortable experience,” Broghammer said.