Hojai (Assam): At least seven elephants were killed and one calf injured after the Sairang–New Delhi Rajdhani Express collided with a herd of elephants in Assam’s Hojai district early Saturday morning. The tragic incident occurred around 2:15–2:17 am, leading to the derailment of the locomotive and five coaches. No passenger casualties or injuries were reported, railway officials confirmed.
Train Services Disrupted After Derailment
The collision occurred on the Jamunamukh–Kampur section under the Lumding division, approximately 126 km from Guwahati. Following the derailment and the presence of elephant remains on the tracks, rail services to Upper Assam and other parts of the Northeast were severely affected.
According to the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), nine trains were cancelled, 13 regulated, and two short-terminated. Only a single railway line is currently operational at the site, while restoration work continues.
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Loco Pilot Applied Emergency Brakes: Railways
The Chief Public Relations Officer of Northeast Frontier Railway, Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, expressed deep grief over the incident. He said the loco pilot spotted a herd of nearly 100 elephants crossing the tracks and immediately applied emergency brakes, a move that prevented passenger injuries.
Despite the effort, some elephants collided with the train, resulting in the derailment. Of the approximately 600 passengers onboard, nearly 200 from the affected coaches were safely shifted to other coaches. The train later resumed its journey, with plans to attach additional coaches at Guwahati.
Accident relief trains and senior railway officials rushed to the spot soon after the incident to oversee rescue and restoration operations.
CM Orders Probe, Calls for Strengthening Wildlife Protection
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed sorrow over the deaths of the elephants—three adults and four calves—and ordered a comprehensive investigation.
“We are deeply saddened by the death of seven elephants in a tragic train collision. I have directed the Forest Department to conduct a detailed enquiry and take steps to further secure wildlife corridors, especially during low visibility seasons,” the Chief Minister said in a post on X.
Notably, the accident site is not a designated elephant corridor, raising concerns about wildlife movement beyond mapped zones.
Legal and Environmental Concerns
The incident once again highlights the growing conflict between railway infrastructure and wildlife habitats. The Environment Ministry has informed Parliament that 79 elephants have died in train collisions across India over the last five years.
The Ministry, in coordination with Indian Railways, has implemented several mitigation measures, including:
- Speed restrictions in elephant habitats
- Seismic sensor-based elephant detection systems
- Construction of underpasses, ramps, and fencing
- Issuance of eco-friendly infrastructure guidelines
- Capacity-building workshops for railway officials
A nationwide study has identified 77 vulnerable railway stretches across 14 states for priority intervention.
Recent Similar Incidents
Last month, an adult elephant was killed and a calf injured after being hit by a train in Dhupguri, West Bengal, underscoring the urgency of strengthening wildlife safety mechanisms along railway lines.
