Train services on the busy railway section between Gaya and Patna in Bihar state were disrupted for nearly three hours early on Thursday after thieves cut and stole about 100 meters of a 25,000-volt overhead electrical wire between Tehta and Jahanabad railway stations, officials said.
According to East Central Railway Public Relations Head (CPRO), Saraswati Chandra, the theft occurred at around 3.05 am, affecting the movement of the train on the route. During the disruption period, lower trains were operated using a single line until repairs were completed, news agency PTI reported.
“The thieves cut a 25,000 volt wire (about 100 metres) at 3.05 am between Tahta and Jehanabad stations in Patna’s Gaya division, disrupting train services. The affected trains were running on the single-line system,” Chandra told the news agency.
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Railway staff restored the damaged overhead line, and the section was declared fit for operations at 6.26am. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) recovered the stolen items, and an investigation was launched to identify and arrest those involved.
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Frequent problem?
The latest incident is not an isolated case. Similar thefts targeting railway electrical infrastructure have disrupted train services in Bihar state in recent years.
Recently, Live Hindustan reported that signal cables were stolen near Danapur station in May 2026, delaying about a dozen trains, including the Humsafar Express and Shramjeevi Express. Although this incident involved signaling cables rather than overhead wires, it similarly affected railway operations and highlighted the recurring problem of theft targeting the state’s railway infrastructure.
In July 2024, thieves allegedly cut around 39 meters of overhead electrical wire near Vatuha railway station on the Patna-Jhaja railway route by attaching a saw to a bamboo pole. The newspaper reported that the theft disrupted railway traffic on the upper and lower lines for approximately two hours before railway teams recovered the overhead equipment.
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In another incident in April 2024, an attempted theft of railway wires between Chanpatia and Sati stations on Narkatiyaganj-Muzaffarpur section allegedly caused an overhead electrical wire to break, affecting train operations for about five hours. Railway officials then said the attempted theft had weakened OHE’s infrastructure, forcing restoration work before services could resume.
(With inputs from PTI)
