Railway track in high-security zone in Kochi found stolen

KOCHI: A railway track in Kochi has been found stolen. The thieves smuggled half a kilometer of railway track in the port area of Wellington Island, a high-security zone. Only the valuable steel parts of the track were smuggled. The concrete slabs on which the track was laid are found scattered around the area. The port authority has conducted an internal investigation into the incident, but it is reported that no complaint has been filed with the police yet. The tracks from Q9 berth to Tata Tetley were stolen.

When the Vallarpadam came into existence, this track was not used. Therefore, the track was found covered in forest. Since the area is within the CISF security zone, no one can enter here without permission. Moreover, there is a gate at the part where the railway line opens onto the road. The theft happened after bypassing all these. This points to a serious security lapse. The track on the land owned by the port is maintained by the CISF.

The railway authorities reached the spot and examined it after the incident came to light. Coal was earlier transported to Vellore HNL through this track. With the establishment of Vallarpadam, the movement of goods through this track stopped completely. With this, the track was found abandoned. However, since the area was part of a high-security zone, there was tight security. What surprises everyone is how parts of the track were transported after bypassing all this.