New Delhi: In a shocking incident reported from Bihar, thieves allegedly stole 100 metres of a 25,000 volt overhead electrical wire, leading to disruptions
in train services in the state. The theft happened on the Gaya-Patna Rail section, between Tehta and Jehanabad railway stations, according to officials quoted by Hindustan Times.
Theft early morning, says Railway Official
The Chief Public Relations Officer of East Central Railways, Saraswati Chandra said that the theft took place early morning, at around 3:07 am on Thursday. This led to disruptions in train services on this route. During the disruption, down trains were operating on a single line. This continued till repairs were completed.
PTI quoted Chandra as saying, “The thieves cut a 25,000-volt OHE wire (roughly around 100 metres) at 3.05 am between Tehta and Jehanabad stations in the Gaya-Patna section, disrupting train services. Affected down trains were operated under single-line working.”
Soon after the theft came to light, Railways ordered repair work. By 6:26 am, the overhead cable was repaired and train services resumed on the Patna-Gaya section. An investigation has been launched and is led by the Railway Protection Force (RPF). In fact the RPF personnel managed to recover the stolen overhead cable. Now efforts are being made to arrest those involved in the theft.
Theft of Railway infrastructure, a recurring problem in Bihar
This is however not the first time that something of this sort has been reported from Bihar. Thieves have targeted Railway property earlier also. In May 2026, signal cables were stolen near Danapur in the state. This led to delay of at least a dozen trains, including Humsafar Express and Shramjeevi Express.
In another case, reported 2 years back in July 2024, thieves stole 39 metres of overhead electrical cables near the Fatuha Railway Station. This led to disruptions on the Patna-Jhajha rail route. They reportedly used a saw and bamboo to pull down the wire.
In April 2024, the train services on the Narkatiaganj-Muzaffarpur section were affected for nearly 5 hours, after the overhead electric wire snapped, as thieves tried to steal it. The theft attempt was made between Chanpatia and Sathi stations, said the Railways.
