From safe passages to AI-based early-warning systems and remote sensing technologies, India is adopting science-driven measures to reduce elephant deaths caused by train collisions, say officials.
Experts at a recent workshop identified key factors contributing to these accidents, including habitat fragmentation, land-use changes, high train speeds, night operations, and seasonal elephant movements, emphasising the need for stronger coordination between railway authorities, forest departments, and scientific institutions, alongside standardised protocols for risk assessment, monitoring, and rapid response.
According to an official statement, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has identified 77 railway stretches across 14 states as priority areas for mitigation measures. These stretches were selected following joint assessments by Project Elephant, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Indian Railways, and state forest departments.
The recommended mitigation package includes 503 ramps and level crossings, 72 bridge extensions or modifications, 39 fencing or trenching structures, four exit ramps, 65 underpasses, and 22 overpasses—totalling 705 structures aimed at safe wildlife passage and collision reduction.
Several new railway lines and expansion projects, including track doubling and tripling, now integrate wildlife-friendly infrastructure. Examples include the Gevra Road–Pendra Road line through the Achanakmar-Amarkantak elephant corridor in Chhattisgarh, the Darekasa–Salekasa tripling and Nagbhid–Itwari gauge conversion projects in Maharashtra, and the Wadsa–Gadchiroli line intersecting the Kanha–Navegaon–Tadoba–Indravati tiger corridor.
A notable intervention is planned along a 3.5-km sensitive stretch of the Azara–Kamakhya line in Assam, which crosses the Rani–Garbhanga–Deepor Beel elephant corridor, where past elephant fatalities have occurred. This section will be elevated to ensure safe movement.
India hosts over 60% of the world’s Asian elephants, yet habitat fragmentation and expanding rail infrastructure have heightened collision risks. States such as Assam, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand frequently report incidents.
Experts recommend expanding early-warning systems, dedicated wildlife crossings, improved signage, and enhanced data sharing. AI-based detection systems and remote sensing tools are being explored, including a system in Madukkarai, Tamil Nadu, which uses 12 tower-mounted cameras with thermal and motion sensors to detect elephants within 100 metres of tracks and alert officials to slow trains.
Railway-related wildlife deaths remain a major concern. In December, seven elephants—including three adults and four calves—were killed by a train in Assam at a stretch not officially designated as a corridor, derailing the locomotive and several coaches without injuring passengers. Reports peg elephant fatalities in train accidents at around 160 since 1987, with Assam and West Bengal accounting for the largest shares.