At an average rate of two cases of theft of track cables and signals each month, thieves are bringing running trains on the Central Railway section to a grinding halt, leading to delays. The railways has now stepped up security measures to counter such incidents. “There have been 15 cases of thefts between April and November this year. We have stepped up intelligence and security,” said Shivaji Sutar, chief public relations officer, Central Railway.

Railway officials said that when the cables are gone, the signalling and telecommunication systems of the railway network don’t work and trains can’t run