Assam Elephant Herd Rajdhani Express Halt

Sometimes, a little coordination between humans can make a huge difference for wildlife. That was evident in Assam’s Nagaon, where quick action by the Forest Department and Indian Railways helped prevent a possible tragedy involving a large herd of elephants and the Rajdhani Express.

A video of the incident has now gone viral on social media, showing a forest official stopping the train as the elephants slowly approached and began crossing the railway tracks.

IAS officer Supriya Sahu shared the video and explained how the team handled the situation. “Forest staff alerted the Railways, and the loco-pilot, working with the Railway Control Room, halted the Rajdhani Express, allowing the large herd to cross safely,” Sahu said.

Assam Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah also posted about the incident, calling it an unexpected halt that gave the “adorable giants” a safe passage. He said the alertness of the Assam Forest Department personnel, the loco pilot and the Lumding Railway Control Room ensured that the elephants could cross before the train resumed its journey.

The incident has once again highlighted the challenges elephants face when moving through areas where railway tracks cut through their natural habitats. It also showed how timely communication between forest officials and railway authorities can help avoid potentially fatal encounters.

Many social media users praised those involved in stopping the train, while also pointing out that such crossings should not have to depend entirely on manual intervention.

“I worry for the elephants. Had this crossing happened in the dead of night, was this manual intervention possible?? I am sure some technical solution could be found to protect our elephants rather than rely on manual intervention,” one user wrote.

“There should be a dedicated corridor for them, it is their land we are using for trains, not the other way round,” another wrote.

“We need to make more animal corridors or over passes at such places so that both wildlife and transportation remain unaffected by each other,” a third person added.

“Wow!!! Kudos to the team on ground and rail loco driver, Technology should be used to automate such events,” another wrote.