Network Rail chiefs have confirmed that the number of disruptions caused by cable thefts has fallen dramatically in the past year.

Criminals who stole metal from the railways have caused 6,000 hours of delays in a single year in the past, but the company appears to be bringing the issue under control.

In 2012/13, thieves caused 2,700 hours of disruptions, which was a 54 per cent improvement on previous years.

The total cost of this type of crime also reached a three-year low, with the industry saving £5 million as a result of recent measures to prevent thefts.

Neil Henry, head of operations and performance at Network Rail, said engineers have made it harder for people to remove cables from the UK's railway lines.

"The improvements we have seen are down to a number of factors, including British Transport Police targeting thieves and the scrap dealers buying stolen metal," he remarked.

Last week, Network Rail announced that overall railway service punctuality had risen in March 2013, with 91.4 per cent of trains running on time.