Indian Railways has launched new measures to protect elephants and wildlife from train accidents. A key innovation is the AI-enabled Intrusion Detection System (IDS). It detects elephants near railway tracks using Distributed Acoustic Sensors (DAS). The system alerts loco pilots, station masters, and control rooms for quick action.
Currently, IDS is operational over 141 Rkm in Northeast Frontier Railway. The system has proven effective in reducing elephant deaths. Work is ongoing to install IDS across 1,158 Rkm in multiple railway zones. The project costs Rs. 208 crore.
Multiple safety measures in place
Indian Railways is also taking other steps to protect wildlife, including:
- Speed restrictions at critical locations after train-elephant collisions.
- Underpasses and ramps for safe elephant crossings.
- Track fencing to prevent accidental entry.
- Signage boards at elephant corridors to warn loco pilots.
- Vegetation clearance to remove food sources near tracks.
- Solar-powered LED lights in forest areas to improve visibility.
- Elephant trackers deployed by forest officials to warn trains.
- Honey Bee buzzer devices at level crossings to repel elephants.
- Thermal vision cameras for night-time wildlife detection.
Elephant deaths drop by over 50%
Thanks to these initiatives, elephant deaths have dropped from 26 in 2013 to 12 in 2024. Indian Railways continues to work with forest officials to improve safety measures.
