**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) organized a two-day workshop on March 10-11, 2026, in Dehradun, to address elephant-train collisions. The workshop, a collaboration between MoEFCC and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), brought together 40 participants from various government bodies and conservation experts. Key outcomes include the prioritization of 77 critical railway stretches and the recommendation of 705 mitigation structures to curb elephant mortalities.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Workshop and Objectives**
* A two-day national workshop on "Policy Implementation for Minimizing Elephant Mortalities on Railway Tracks" was held on March 10-11, 2026, in Dehradun.
* Organized by the Project Elephant Division of MoEFCC in collaboration with WII.
* Attended by 40 participants including senior representatives from MoEFCC, Ministry of Railways, State Forest Departments, and conservation scientists.
* Aimed to strengthen coordination between conservation and infrastructure sectors and promote science-based mitigation strategies.
**Prioritized Railway Stretches and Mitigation Measures**
* 110 sensitive railway stretches across elephant ranges and 17 additional stretches in tiger-range states have been identified.
* Comprehensive joint field surveys evaluated 127 railway stretches covering 3,452.4 km.
* 77 stretches spanning 1,965.2 km across 14 states were prioritized for mitigation based on wildlife movement and mortality risk.
* A mitigation package includes 503 ramps and level crossings, 72 bridge extensions/modifications, 39 fencing/trenching structures, 4 exit ramps, 65 underpasses, and 22 overpasses, totaling 705 mitigation structures.
**Wildlife-Friendly Infrastructure and Technology**
* New railway lines and expansion projects incorporate wildlife-friendly infrastructure, such as track doubling and tripling.
* Specific examples include lines through Achanakmar-Amarkantak elephant corridor in Chhattisgarh, and projects in Maharashtra intersecting Kanha-Navegaon-Tadoba-Indravati tiger corridor.
* A 3.5-km stretch of the Azara-Kamakhya railway line in Assam will be elevated to enable safe elephant movement.
* Technology-based solutions are being tested, including Distributed Acoustic System (DAS)-based Intrusion Detection System (IDS) on North East Frontier Railway and in parts of Assam and North Bengal.
* An AI-based early-warning system at Madukkarai, Tamil Nadu, uses cameras to detect elephant movement and alert officials.
**Workshop Discussions and Recommendations**
* Technical sessions covered elephant ecology, infrastructure planning, and biodiversity conservation, emphasizing joint planning where railways cross wildlife corridors.
* Key collision drivers examined included habitat fragmentation, land-use changes, train speeds, night operations, and seasonal elephant movements.
* Regional working groups identified gaps and suggested landscape-specific strategies.
* Best practices shared included early-warning systems, sensor/AI detection technologies, GIS monitoring, and community-based alert systems.
* Emphasis was placed on stronger coordination, standardized protocols for risk assessment, monitoring, and rapid response.
* Discussions reinforced consensus on collision hotspots, priority stretches, and the need for enhanced early-warning systems, dedicated crossings, better signage, and improved data sharing.
* Research priorities included AI detection and remote sensing.
* Recommendations were made for a national roadmap under Project Elephant and the Ministry of Railways for science-based, collaborative action to minimize elephant-train collisions.
**Impact Analysis**
**MoEFCC and Project Elephant Division**
* **Impact:** Gains a prioritized list of critical railway stretches and recommended mitigation structures to address elephant-train collisions. Strengthened understanding of collision drivers and best practices for intervention.
* **Action Required:** Implement recommendations for mitigation structures, new infrastructure, and technology-based solutions. Develop and implement the national roadmap for minimizing elephant-train collisions.
**Ministry of Railways**
* **Impact:** Will be responsible for implementing infrastructure modifications and incorporating wildlife-friendly designs in new and existing railway lines. Needs to integrate technology-based early warning systems.
* **Action Required:** Prioritize and implement the 705 recommended mitigation structures. Consider wildlife-friendly infrastructure in future railway projects and expansion. Deploy and utilize early-warning systems.
**State Forest Departments**
* **Impact:** Will be involved in site-specific ecological assessments and the implementation of mitigation measures. Will collaborate with railway authorities and MoEFCC.
* **Action Required:** Provide state-level data and participate in joint planning and implementation efforts. Collaborate on monitoring and rapid response.
**Wildlife Conservation Scientists**
* **Impact:** Their expertise has been crucial in identifying risks and recommending science-based solutions. They will likely be involved in ongoing research and monitoring.
* **Action Required:** Continue to provide scientific input and contribute to research priorities such as AI detection and remote sensing for the national roadmap.
**Elephant-Range States**
* **Impact:** These states, where elephant habitats are fragmented by railways, will directly benefit from the implemented mitigation measures to reduce elephant mortalities.
* **Action Required:** Facilitate the implementation of mitigation structures and technologies within their jurisdictions. Support collaborative efforts between conservation and railway sectors.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC): The primary government ministry involved in organizing the workshop and developing mitigation strategies.
Wildlife Institute of India (WII): A key collaborator and organizer of the workshop, which conducted field surveys and developed proposals.
Ministry of Railways: A crucial partner involved in the mitigation efforts, including railway infrastructure development and implementation.
Project Elephant: A specific division within MoEFCC that partnered with WII and the Ministry of Railways on this initiative.
Policy Implementation for Minimizing Elephant Mortalities on Railway Tracks: The title of the workshop, indicating the specific policy focus and scope of the event and related actions.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
MoEFCC Organizes 2-day Workshop to Address
Challenge of Elephant-train Collisions
77 Critical Railway Stretches Prioritised to Curb Elephant
Mortalities; 705 Mitigation Structures Recommended
Posted On: 12 MAR 2026 9:31AM by PIB Delhi
The Project Elephant Division of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), in
collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India, organized a two-day national workshop on “Policy
Implementation for Minimizing Elephant Mortalities on Railway Tracks” at the Wildlife Institute of India
(WII), Dehradun, on 10-11 March 2026. The event brought together 40 participants, including senior
representatives from MoEFCC’s Project Elephant Division, Ministry of Railways, Forest Departments of
elephant-range states and leading conservation scientists. Key railway zones represented included East
Central Railway, East Coast Railway, North Eastern Railway, North East Frontier Railway, Northern
Railway, South Eastern Railway, Southern Railway and South Western Railway.
India harbours more than 60% of the global Asian Elephant population, with major habitats spanning
eastern, northeastern, southern and central regions. However, increasing habitat fragmentation and
expansion of railway infrastructure across elephant habitats have led to a rise in elephant mortalities on
railway tracks, particularly in states such as Assam, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Tamil Nadu,
Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. The workshop aimed to strengthen coordination between
conservation and infrastructure sectors and to promote science-based mitigation strategies.
In an effort to address rising instances of wildlife mortality on railway tracks, MoEFCC, in partnership
with WII and the Ministry of Railways, has identified 110 sensitive railway stretches across elephant
ranges and 17 additional stretches in two tiger-range states.Comprehensive joint field surveys – conducted by teams from Project Elephant, WII, State Forest
Departments, and Indian Railways – evaluated site-specific ecological conditions and proposed targeted
mitigation measures tailored to each location. Based on a detailed assessment of 127 railway stretches
covering 3,452.4 km, 77 stretches spanning 1,965.2 km across 14 states were prioritised for mitigation,
considering wildlife movement patterns and the risk of animal mortality.
The recommended mitigation package for these priority stretches includes 503 ramps and level crossings,
72 bridge extensions and modifications, 39 fencing or trenching structures, 4 exit ramps, 65 new
underpasses and 22 overpasses, amounting to a total of 705 mitigation structures designed to facilitate safe
wildlife passage and reduce collisions.
In addition to these proactive measures, several new railway lines and expansion projects – including track
doubling and tripling – have incorporated wildlife-friendly infrastructure. Notable examples include the
Gevra Road-Pendra Road railway line passing through the Achanakmar-Amarkantak elephant corridor in
Chhattisgarh; the Darekasa-Salekasa railway track tripling project and the Nagbhid-Itwari gauge
conversion project in Maharashtra, and the Wadsa-Gadchiroli railway line intersecting the Kanha-
Navegaon-Tadoba-Indravati tiger corridor in Maharashtra.
A particularly significant intervention is planned along a 3.5-km sensitive stretch of the Azara-Kamakhya
railway line in Assam, intersecting the Rani-Garbhanga-Deepor Beel elephant corridor where several
elephant mortalities had occurred in the past. This section will be elevated to enable safe elephant
movement across the corridor.
Several technology-based solutions are also being tested and implemented to prevent wildlife–train
collisions. One notable innovation is the Distributed Acoustic System (DAS)-based Intrusion Detection
System (IDS) being deployed along sensitive railway stretches across elephant landscapes. Pilot
installations have been successfully commissioned in four sections under the North East Frontier Railway,
covering a total of 64.03 km of elephant corridors and 141 km of railway block sections in Assam. The
system is now being replicated in sensitive railway sections in North Bengal and in parts of Odisha under
the East Coast Railway.
Another promising intervention is the AI-based early-warning system deployed at Madukkarai in Tamil
Nadu, which uses a network of 12 tower-mounted cameras equipped with thermal and motion-sensing
technology. The system detects elephant movement within 100 metres of railway tracks and automatically
alerts forest and railway officials, enabling trains to slow down and allowing elephants to cross safely.The workshop included technical sessions on elephant ecology, infrastructure planning and biodiversity
conservation, stressing the need for joint planning where railways cross wildlife corridors. Participants
examined state-level data, case studies and key collision drivers – habitat fragmentation, land-use changes,
train speeds, night operations and seasonal elephant movements.
Regional working groups reviewed mitigation efforts across major landscapes (Shivalik-Gangetic Plains,
Central India & Eastern Ghats, North-East India, Western Ghats), identified gaps and suggested
landscape-specific strategies. Best practices shared included early-warning systems, sensor/AI detection
technologies, GIS monitoring and community-based alert and patrolling networks.
The workshop emphasised stronger coordination among railway authorities, forest departments and
scientific institutions, along with standardised protocols for risk assessment, monitoring and rapid
response. Discussions reinforced national consensus on collision hotspots and priority stretches, calling
for enhanced early-warning systems, dedicated crossings, better signage and improved data sharing.
Participants highlighted research priorities (AI detection, remote sensing) and contributed
recommendations for a national roadmap under Project Elephant and the Ministry of Railways to
minimise elephant-train collisions through science-based, collaborative action.
*****VM/GS
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