Thieves steal high-tension rail wire, halt Patna-Gaya train operations for 3 hours
Train services on the Patna–Gaya rail section were disrupted for nearly three hours early Thursday after thieves allegedly cut several metres of the 25,000-volt overhead
Train services on the Patna–Gaya rail section were disrupted for nearly three hours early Thursday after thieves allegedly cut several metres of the 25,000-volt overhead electric wire near Unta-Madarpur in Bihar's Jehanabad district, affecting the movement of multiple trains. According to the East Central Railway (ECR), the incident occurred around 3 am on the down line between Tehta and Jehanabad stations. The theft of the overhead equipment (OHE) wire interrupted power supply to the section, forcing railway authorities to suspend normal train operations. Read Full Story Railway officials said the disruption was first reported to the Danapur Railway Division, which immediately alerted officials in Jehanabad.
Teams from the Railway Protection Force (RPF), railway engineering department and technical staff were rushed to the spot to assess the damage and restore services. THEFT WENT UNNOTICED Officials said the location of the incident is situated close to both an RPF post and the Government Railway Police (GRP) station. However, the theft went unnoticed until railway authorities detected the fault in the overhead line. An RPF team led by Inspector Pradeep Kumar Yadav reached the site soon after receiving the information. By the time police arrived, the suspects had allegedly fled. During a search of the surrounding area, the cut overhead wire was recovered from a nearby pit and seized as evidence.
Railway technicians were then deployed to the site in a special East Central Railway vehicle. They repaired the damaged overhead equipment and restored the signalling and communication systems, allowing train operations to resume. According to officials, rail services remained affected between approximately 4 am and 7 am. During the restoration work, trains on the affected down line were operated along the up line using single-line working to minimise delays and clear stranded services. STOLEN WIRES RECOVERED East Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Saraswati Chandra said thieves had stolen a few metres of the 25,000-volt overhead wire, disrupting train operations on the route.
He confirmed that the stolen wire had been recovered and that the RPF had launched an investigation to identify and arrest those involved. No arrests had been made at the time of filing this report. Railway authorities said efforts are underway to strengthen surveillance along vulnerable stretches of the route to prevent similar incidents, while the investigation into the theft continues. Ends With inputs from Vikash Kumar and Mosharraf Zaidi
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