Half a kilometre of Railway track stolen in Kochi's high-security port area; Probe underway

Kochi: Nearly half a kilometre of railway track has been stolen from Willingdon Island, a high-security zone under the Cochin Port. The missing sections are believed to be part of a rail line that had remained unused for years after the commissioning of Vallarpadam. Overgrown with vegetation due to prolonged disuse, the track had largely been neglected. The port authorities have launched an internal investigation into the incident.

Officials knew about the theft on Wednesday evening. The stolen steel rails reportedly stretch from Q9 Berth to the Tata Tetley area. The railway line once crossed the road leading to Harbour Terminus railway station in front of Tata Tetley. The theft is particularly alarming as the area is under security surveillance, including personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

The large-scale theft has raised serious questions, as the area is a restricted zone where unauthorized entry is not permitted. Authorities are now investigating how nearly half a kilometre of railway track could have been removed from such a highly secured location without detection.