Ahmedabad: A major theft of metro power cables near Shahpur station on Thursday brought services to a halt for nearly seven hours, prompting the Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation (GMRC) to step up security with plans to install CCTV cameras and deploy guards at key vulnerable locations.

The disruption occurred early in the morning after a thief stole around 500 meters of electrical cable, causing a power outage between Apparel Park and Old High Court stations. The first train from Vastral to Thaltej Gam managed to pass through Shahpur station using its momentum before services were suspended. The stolen cables — 20 in total, each 25 meters long — were estimated to be worth around ₹9 lakh.

Following the incident, authorities plan to install CCTV cameras and assign security guards at locations where the underground metro transitions to elevated sections. Officials have identified two particularly vulnerable spots: one near Apparel Park in Maninagar and the other near Shahpur, where trains surface from the underground tunnel.

However, since the Apparel Park area is government-owned and already has 24-hour security, officials said they are focusing on installing CCTV cameras with lighting or posting guards at Shahpur to prevent a repeat of Thursday’s theft.

As an interim solution, GMRC will post a guard at these locations until permanent surveillance measures are in place. DeshGujarat