Train sabotage to steal timber in Lota: lawsuit reveals brake cuts in two coordinated attacks on a forest convoy

A lawsuit for attack on railway material, theft with force, larceny, and receiving stolen goods filed by the company Transap before the Lota Court of Letters and Guarantees constitutes the only incident recorded in El Líbero's Violence and Impunity Indicator for the week of April 20 to 26. The legal action reports two episodes of coordinated sabotage against forest trains in the commune of Lota, in which unknown individuals tampered with the convoy's brake system to stop them and steal timber from the cars.

According to the lawsuit filed by Transap S.A., the events occurred on April 7 and 9, 2026, while a freight train composed of 24 forest cars loaded with timber logs was traveling through the Bannen sector, in Lota Bajo. In the first episode, around 2:35 p.m., a group of individuals executed deliberate sabotage maneuvers that included cutting a brake system hose and closing the corresponding angle valve on another car, which activated the emergency brake system and caused the immediate stop of the convoy on the railway track.

Taking advantage of the forced stop of the train, approximately eight individuals boarded several cars and stole timber logs, which they later transported and brought into a property located in the same sector. After the intervention, the crew managed to restore the operational conditions of the convoy and resume the journey about twenty minutes later. The company also noted that both the sabotage and the theft of the cargo were recorded through photographs and video recordings, in which it would be possible to identify the participants.

The lawsuit also recounts that, after the first incident, company personnel went to a police station to file the corresponding complaint; however, it was not possible to formalize the report despite staying for more than an hour at the police premises, being told that evidence had to be provided to proceed with the procedure.

Two days later, on April 9, a second similar episode was recorded in the same sector. On this occasion, around 3:24 p.m., the same train—also composed of 24 PER-type cars and corresponding to the FASA service traveling from Ciruelos to Horcones—stopped again after the emergency brake system was activated. When crew members got off to check the situation, a new cut in a brake system hose was confirmed, along with the presence of individuals stealing timber from the cars. After repairing the damaged system, the convoy resumed its journey at 3:41 p.m.

Subsequently, police personnel and guards arrived at the scene, who were informed of what had happened at the site. As in the first episode, the company maintained that the events were recorded through photographs and audiovisual records, both of the sabotage and the theft of the cargo.

In its court filing, the company indicated that both attacks constitute coordinated actions aimed at disrupting railway operations with the objective of facilitating timber theft, which—according to its statement—constitutes the crimes of attack on railway rolling stock, theft with force, larceny, and receiving stolen goods, without prejudice to other criminal charges that may be established during the investigation.

The Association of Forestry Contractors noted that the legal action is heading in the right direction and warned that this type of incident represents a variant of the timber theft phenomenon, affecting railway freight transport and the interests of the forestry industry as a whole. Likewise, they expressed the expectation that authorities will adopt measures to address this type of crime in railway transport, considering its impact on the forestry logistics chain.

Source:El Libero