At least seven elephants were killed and one calf injured after a herd collided with the Sairang–New Delhi Rajdhani Express in Assam’s Hojai district early Saturday, causing major disruption to rail services in the region.
According to officials, the New Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express struck the herd around 2.17 am, leading to the derailment of the locomotive and five coaches. Despite the severity of the accident, no passenger casualties or injuries were reported.
The Sairang–New Delhi Rajdhani Express connects Sairang near Aizawl in Mizoram with Anand Vihar Terminal in Delhi. The accident site is located about 126 kilometres from Guwahati. Following the incident, accident relief trains and senior railway officials rushed to the spot to carry out rescue and restoration operations.
Railway authorities said passengers from the affected coaches were temporarily accommodated in vacant berths available in other coaches of the same train. Once the train reaches Guwahati, additional coaches will be attached to ensure all passengers are accommodated, after which the train will resume its onward journey.
Due to the derailment and the presence of elephant carcasses and debris on the tracks, train services to Upper Assam and other parts of the Northeast were severely affected. The Railways issued helpline numbers at Guwahati Railway Station to assist passengers:
0361-2731621
0361-2731622
0361-2731623
Officials clarified that the accident occurred at a location that is not a designated elephant corridor. The loco pilot reportedly applied emergency brakes after spotting the herd on the tracks, but despite this, the elephants dashed into the train, resulting in the collision and derailment.
The incident has once again highlighted the growing concern over train–elephant collisions in India. Just last month, an adult elephant was killed after being hit by a train in Dhupguri in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district on November 30, while a calf was found lying injured beside the tracks.
Data presented by the Union Environment Ministry in Parliament underscores the scale of the problem. At least 79 elephants have died in train collisions across the country over the last five years, between 2020-21 and 2024-25, based on reports from states and Union Territories. Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh also confirmed that three elephants, including a mother and her calf, were killed on July 18 this year after being hit by a speeding express train on the Kharagpur–Tatanagar section in West Bengal’s Paschim Midnapore district.
The minister said several preventive measures have been undertaken jointly by the Environment Ministry and the Railways to reduce such accidents. These include speed restrictions in elephant habitats, pilot projects using seismic sensor-based systems to detect elephant movement near tracks, and the construction of underpasses, ramps and fencing at vulnerable locations.
In addition, the Wildlife Institute of India has issued guidelines titled ‘Eco-friendly Measures to Mitigate Impacts of Linear Infrastructure’ to help agencies design railways and other infrastructure projects in ways that minimise human–animal conflict. Capacity-building workshops for railway officials were also conducted in 2023 and 2024 to raise awareness about elephant conservation and protection.
Saturday’s tragic incident in Assam has renewed calls for faster and more effective implementation of these measures to prevent further loss of wildlife and ensure safer railway operations in elephant-prone regions.
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