Cable theft disrupts Padma rail link: Signal system malfunction poses accident risk

The theft of the cables at five-newly established railway stations of the Padma Rail Link Project, including Munshiganj's Mawa station, has caused a major disruption in the signalling system, creating operational challenges for passenger trains and raising safety concerns.

Due to the malfunctioning signal system, trains are unable to stop at designated platforms, forcing passengers to board and disembark from the tracks, leading to heightened risk.

The theft of cables has affected stations under the Computer-Based Interlocking (CBI) signalling system, with the automatic signals now offline and red signals being displayed on the control system.

As a result, train stoppages are disrupted, and the smooth operation of services on these high-speed rail routes is being severely hampered.

According to railway officials, the signal cables were stolen from Mawa station on 22 August, but repairs have yet to be completed after more than a month.

Similar incidents of cable theft were reported at Srinagar and Nimtala stations in Munshiganj, while the most recent theft occurred on 17 September at Shibchar station in Madaripur.

Prior to this, cables were also stolen from Padma station at the Jajira end of the Padma Bridge in Shariatpur. These thefts have damaged the automatic signal boxes, significantly affecting train services.

Passengers on this route are facing great inconvenience. Temporary staircases have been set up at platforms for boarding and disembarking, but many fear that the current workaround of manually fixing the tracks could lead to accidents.

Mawa Railway Station authorities have taken steps to mitigate the risks by manually fixing the lines to ensure safe train movement. Six guards have been deployed at each station for 24-hour security, while repair work is ongoing.

Despite these measures, the situation remains unresolved.

Hasanur Rahman, station master at Mawa Railway Station, confirmed the challenges, saying, "The theft of signal cables has disrupted the signal system, which is causing delays in train crossings and forcing trains to run at reduced speeds. If this issue is not fixed soon, there is a genuine risk of accidents."

Md Afzal Hossain, project director, Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, said, signal wires are being stolen frequently. The contractor repairs one station, and by then, the wires at another station are stolen. We are worried about this issue.

"We have also engaged security personnel, but despite this, signal cables are still being stolen during gaps in surveillance."

From now on it will take at least a month to repair the damage, he added.

He also said, "This is a new railway line, and the railway police have not yet started working at full capacity. Theft has occurred multiple times in some stations, making it difficult for us to provide proper signals. The contractor is understandably frustrated, asking how many times he needs to repair the same issue."  

He continued, this is causing significant delays, as we are having to operate manually. Currently, 10 trains are running on this route.  

The project director also said they have also filed cases, but the general police are not focused on railways as it's not their jurisdiction.