NEW DELHI: Services on the Delhi Metro’s Red Line were disrupted on Thursday morning following a cable theft between the Seelampur and Welcome stations the night before.
As the theft of cables hit the signalling system, trains were run with a restricted speed of 25 kilometre per hour on the affected section from the Mansarovar Park to the Seelampur station from morning till 12.21 pm.
“This caused a cascading effect on the entire Red Line, resulting in a delay in the overall passenger trip from one end to another end during this period,” the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said. The metro operator added, “DMRC is in touch with the law and order machinery to resolve such recurring issues.”
In the official statement, the DMRC further noted, “The recurrences of such incidents in recent months has been a cause of concern as it greatly inconveniences the commuters, who rely so heavily on its punctuality to reach their destinations ‘on-time’ on a daily basis.”
It stated that 89 cases of cable theft had been reported from various corridors of the metro network since June last year. “These thefts include 35 cases of traction cables, 32 cases of signalling cables and 22 cases of electrical cables,” the DMRC specified.
Anti-theft clamps
In order to prevent a recurrence of such incidents, the DMRC has decided to have anti-theft clamps installed. Besides, it is exploring the option of drone and CCTV surveillance in vulnerable zones.
DMRC Principal Executive Director Anuj Dayal said, “Any damage to the cables causes unwarranted delay in metro services as replacing them during revenue service hours is quite challenging and risky. Despite this, on most such occasions, the DMRC has attempted emergency measures to ensure that the replacement of cables is done in the fastest possible manner.”