At least seven elephants were killed and one injured after a herd was hit by the Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express in Assam’s Hojai district in the wee hours of Saturday, a forest official said.
Initially, all eight elephants were reported to have been killed, though later it was said that one of them was found injured.
Five coaches and the train's engine were derailed in the incident, though no injuries to passengers were reported, a Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the New Delhi-bound train met with the accident around 2.17 am.
Nagaon divisional forest officer Suhash Kadam told PTI that the incident occurred at Changjurai area of Hojai district. Kadam told PTI that the accident in Changjurai village is suspected to have occurred due to heavy fog in the area.
Kadam and other forest officials have reached the site.
“Autopsy of the seven dead jumbos is underway, and treatment is on for the injured one by local veterinary doctors. Cremation will be done near the accident site. Legal formalities are being followed,” he said.
Trains scheduled to pass through the affected Jamunamukh–Kampur section have been diverted through the UP line, and restoration work is underway, he added.
The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express connects Mizoram's Sairang (near Aizawl) to Anand Vihar Terminal (Delhi).
The Chief Public Relations Officer N. F. Railway/Maligaon issued a press release stating, no injuries to any passenger. The passengers of the affected coaches have been temporarily accomodated in the vacant berths of other available coaches.
Trains scheduled to pass through the affected section have been diverted through the UP line, and restoration work is underway.
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In India rail lines often cut through migratory paths of elephants.
Last year, the All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA) issued a public statement highlighting the technical limitations faced by train operators during such incidents.
According to a blog entry published on their official website, the association pointed out that even if emergency brakes are applied, a fully loaded train can only come to a stop after travelling at least 1.6 kilometers.
“Trains cannot be stopped abruptly upon encountering elephants crossing the tracks,” the blog noted, stressing the physical constraints of braking systems in high-speed and freight trains. The AILRSA has called for systemic preventive measures, rather than placing the burden on train drivers alone.
Among the solutions proposed by the loco-pilots’ association is the installation of subways and the rollout of the Intrusion Detection System (IDS)-an AI-powered technology aimed at alerting rail authorities when elephants or other animals are near the tracks.
Current methods in use, such as whistling and braking, have been described by AILRSA as largely ineffective.