Signal theft puts train operations at risk in Akhaura

Frequent theft of railway signalling equipment has forced trains to make unscheduled stops at the same points near Akhaura Railway Junction in Brahmanbaria, causing delays and raising safety concerns.
Sources said the railway has been operating trains on a pilot basis in the affected areas for about two weeks after parts of the signalling system were stolen.
Signal equipment has reportedly been stolen from areas between Ashuganj and Akhaura on the Dhaka-Chattogram route and around Noapara in Habiganj on the Akhaura-Sylhet route. The theft has recently increased in Akhaura’s bypass and Devgram areas.
As a result, trains passing through the bypass are now being operated under the old manual piloting system instead of the digital signalling system. Akhaura Railway Junction signal department officials said thieves have been breaking signal boxes and stealing wires, terminals, fuses, relays, track-feed chargers, nuts and other equipment.
Md Jobayer, senior deputy assistant engineer (signals) at Akhaura Railway Junction, confirmed that signal equipment theft had increased recently.
“The matter has been reported to the higher authorities, railway police and security forces. Theft is particularly frequent in the bypass and Devgram areas,” he said.
He said the signalling system in the bypass area had become completely inoperative, forcing trains to run under the manual piloting system.
The situation is causing delays and increasing the risk of accidents, railway officials said.
According to complaints submitted to the Divisional Signal and Telecommunication Engineer and Akhaura Railway Police Station, many of the stolen components are expensive and difficult to procure quickly. The shortage of replacement equipment has disrupted signalling in parts of the station.
The outer signals in three directions near Akhaura station have become inoperative, forcing railway staff to operate trains manually by checking points before allowing them to proceed.