Date: 2026-02-04Category: Press ReleaseState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
Indian Railways' AI-enabled Intrusion Detection System (IDS); Designed to Generate Alerts for Loco Pilots, Station Masters and Control Room to Prevent Death of Elephants on Railway Tracks Using Distributed Acoustic Sensors (DAS)
**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Railways, in coordination with the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, is implementing measures to prevent elephant deaths on railway tracks. Key to this is the AI-enabled Intrusion Detection System (IDS) using Distributed Acoustic Sensors (DAS), designed to alert loco pilots, station masters, and control rooms. IDS works have been sanctioned across multiple railway zones, with specific completion targets.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Intrusion Detection System (IDS):**
* An AI-enabled IDS using Distributed Acoustic Sensors (DAS) is being developed.
* The system is designed to detect the presence of elephants on railway tracks.
* Components include Optical Fibre, hardware, and pre-installed signatures of elephant locomotion.
* It generates alerts for loco pilots, station masters, and control rooms.
* Currently, the IDS system is working over 141 Rkms.
* IDS works are sanctioned for Indian Railways covering NFR (403.42 Rkms), ECOR (368.70 Rkms), SR (55.85 Rkms), NR (52 Rkms), SER (55 Rkms), NER (99.18 Rkms), WR (115 Rkms) and ECR (20.3 Rkms)
* **Additional Protective Measures:**
* Zonal Railways investigate elephant-train collisions in coordination with the Forest Department.
* Suitable speed restrictions are imposed and train crews/station masters alerted.
* Regular meetings are held with forest officials.
* Construction of underpasses and ramps.
* Installation of fencing along tracks.
* Provision of signage boards.
* Clearance of vegetation.
* Installation of LED lights with a solar system.
* Deployment of elephant trackers.
* Installation of Honey Bee buzzer devices at level crossings.
* Testing of thermal vision cameras.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Loco Pilots**
* **Impact:** Receipt of real-time alerts regarding elephant presence near railway tracks, enabling timely preventive actions.
* **Action Required:** Adhere to speed restrictions in identified locations and remain vigilant for elephants on the tracks.
**Stakeholder: Station Masters and Control Room Personnel**
* **Impact:** Receipt of real-time alerts regarding elephant presence near railway tracks, enabling coordination of train movements and notification of relevant personnel.
* **Action Required:** Take timely preventive actions, including notifying loco pilots and coordinating with relevant authorities.
**Stakeholder: Zonal Railways**
* **Impact:** They have to manage the IDS implementation and coordinate with the Forest Department in case of train incidents with elephants.
* **Action Required:** Investigate collisions, impose speed restrictions, alert train crews/station masters and hold meetings with forest officials.
**Stakeholder: Forest Department**
* **Impact:** They have to coordinate with the Zonal Railways in case of train incidents with elephants, and participate in meetings.
* **Action Required:** Coordinate with Railways, investigate incidents and provide expertise.
Key Entities Referenced
Indian Railways' AI-enabled Intrusion Detection System (IDS): A system designed to detect the presence of elephants on railway tracks using Distributed Acoustic Sensors (DAS) and generate alerts for loco pilots, station masters and control room to prevent elephant deaths.
Ministry of Railways: The primary ministry responsible for implementing the AI-enabled Intrusion Detection System (IDS) and other measures to protect elephants on railway tracks.
Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change: Works in coordination with the Ministry of Railways on elephant protection measures.
Zonal Railways: Responsible for investigating incidents of elephants being hit by trains and coordinating with the Forest department to take immediate steps.
Ministry of Railways
Indian Railways' AI-enabled Intrusion Detection
System (IDS); Designed to Generate Alerts for
Loco Pilots, Station Masters and Control Room
to Prevent Death of Elephants on Railway Tracks
Using Distributed Acoustic Sensors (DAS)
IDS Works Sanctioned Across Zones Covering NFR (403.42
Rkms), ECOR (368.70 Rkms), SR (55.85 Rkms), NR (52 Rkms),
SER (55 Rkms), NER (99.18 Rkms), WR (115 Rkms) and ECR
(20.3 Rkms)
Posted On: 04 FEB 2026 4:56PM by PIB Delhi
The Ministry of Railways, in coordination with Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, has
taken several protection measures to prevent elephant hitting on railway tracks, which are as under:
(i) One of the innovative measures taken is development of AI-enabled Intrusion Detection System (IDS)
for detecting presence of elephants on Railway tracks using Distributed Acoustic Sensors (DAS). The
system components include Optical Fibre, hardware and pre-installed signatures of elephant locomotion.
The system is designed to generate alerts for loco pilots, station masters and Control Room about the
movement of elephants in proximity of railway tracks, for taking timely preventive action.
Presently, IDS system is working over 141 Rkms on critical & vulnerable locations identified by forest
department in Northeast Frontier Railway. Works of IDS have also been sanctioned for identified corridors
across Indian Railways covering NFR (403.42 Rkms), ECOR (368.70 Rkms), SR (55.85 Rkms), NR (52
Rkms), SER (55 Rkms), NER (99.18 Rkms), WR (115 Rkms) & ECR (20.3 Rkms).
(ii) In case of any hitting incidence of elephant with train, Zonal Railways investigate the matter in close
coordination with Forest department and takes immediate steps accordingly. These include imposition of
suitable speed restrictions at identified locations and alerting train crews as well as station masters.
Regular meetings with concerned forest officials are conducted to update and sensitize the train crew. In
the past five years, an average about 16 incidents have been reported.
(iii) Construction of underpasses and ramps for the movement of elephants at identified locations.
(iv) Installation of suitable fencing along tracks in vulnerable locations to discourage elephants from
approaching towards railway lines.
(v) Provision of signage boards at all identified elephant corridors to pre-warn the loco pilots.
(vi) Clearance of vegetation and edible items surrounding the track within railway land.
(vii) Providing LED lights with a solar system in forest area.(viii) Deployment of elephant trackers engaged by Forest Department for timely action by alerting station
master and loco pilots, are taken.
(ix) To prevent the movement of wild animals/ elephants near railway tracks, innovative Honey Bee
buzzer devices have been installed at level crossings. The sound created by this device acts as a repellent
to move elephants away from railway track.
(x) Thermal vision camera is also being tried for detecting presence of wild animals on straight track
during night/poor visibility which alerts loco pilots for presence of wild animals.
This information was provided by the Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and
Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a written reply to a question in Lok
Sabha today.
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Dharmendra Tewari/ Dr. Nayan Solanki
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