Guwahati, Oct 4 (IANS) The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has saved 255 elephants from train collisions through proactive wildlife protection measures this year (2026), railway officials said on Sunday.
NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that the NFR has intensified its efforts to prevent elephant–train collisions through a combination of technology-driven systems, enhanced vigilance and close coordination with the Forest Departments.
According to Sharma, from January to September this year (2026), timely interventions by NFR personnel helped save 255 elephants across its divisions, including 106 in Alipurduar Division in West Bengal, 14 in Rangiya, 122 in Lumding and 15 in Tinsukia Division in Assam. He said that the NFR has taken several proactive and technology-driven measures to prevent elephant–train collisions in vulnerable areas. These include deployment of AI-based Intrusion Detection System (IDS) using Distributed Acoustic System (DAS) technology, which provides real-time alerts on elephant movement near tracks.
Other preventive measures include night-time and temporary speed restrictions based on elephant sightings, enhanced patrolling, sensitisation of train crews, cautionary signage, vegetation clearance and real-time coordination with the Forest Department. The ‘Plan Bee’ system, using amplified honeybee sounds to deter elephants, has also been installed at vulnerable locations, the NFR CPRO said.
NFR has further undertaken the construction of underpasses at identified locations to facilitate safer wildlife movement and keep elephants away from railway tracks.
Sharma said that the NFR is undertaking regular sensitisation of train crews, railway staff, pantry car personnel and passengers to prevent food waste from being discarded near railway tracks, which could attract elephants and other animals. Continuous coordination and real-time communication with the Forest Department further enable timely action whenever elephant movement is detected. All cases involving train–elephant dashing are treated with utmost seriousness and investigated as per the prescribed safety procedures.
NFR continues to strengthen technology-based monitoring, frontline vigilance and coordination with wildlife authorities to protect elephants while ensuring safe and efficient train operations across the Northeast, Sharma stated.
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), headquartered at Maligaon near Guwahati, operates across the Northeastern states as well as in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar.
–IANS
sc/uk