Indian Railways Enhances AI System for Wildlife Protection on Tracks

Indian Railways has introduced an AI-powered Intrusion Detection System (IDS) using Distributed Acoustic System (DAS) to protect wildlife, including elephants, lions, and tigers, on railway tracks. This technology alerts loco pilots and control rooms 0.5 km in advance of animal presence, potentially saving lives.

The AI-driven system provides real-time alerts to loco pilots, station masters, and control rooms, facilitating prompt preventive measures. Initially deployed across 141 RKms on the Northeast Frontier Railway, the system has shown effective performance, leading to the awarding of further contracts for 981 RKms across Indian Railways. This will expand the total coverage to 1,122 RKms. This initiative highlights Indian Railways' dedication to wildlife protection and safe train operations. By utilizing AI and DAS, the railways are actively working to prevent animal casualties, aligning with broader conservation objectives. It also sets a new standard for balancing railway operations with wildlife conservation. With AI monitoring, elephants, lions, and tigers are provided safer passage. This follows an unfortunate incident in the Jamunamukh - Kampur section under the Lumding Division of N.F. Railway, where Train no. 20507 DN Sairang - New Delhi Rajdhani Express collided with elephants, causing the derailment of the locomotive and five train coaches. Seven elephants were reported dead, though no passengers were harmed. Following the crash, senior railway officials, including the General Manager of N.F. Railway and the Divisional Railway Manager of Lumding, along with Accident Relief trains, arrived at the scene to conduct restoration work. It was noted that the incident site is about 126 km from Guwahati and is not an official elephant corridor. The loco pilot, upon spotting the elephant herd, applied emergency brakes, but the elephants collided with the train. Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed deep sorrow and ordered an investigation into the deaths of seven elephants—three adults and four calves—in a tragic train collision.

The Chief Minister stated, "We are deeply saddened by the death of seven elephants—three adults and four calves—in a tragic train collision earlier today. I have directed the Forest Department to conduct a detailed enquiry on this deeply disturbing accident and take steps to further secure our wildlife corridors, particularly during low visibility seasons." Additionally, Rajya Sabha MP Sukhedu Sekhar Roy, in a letter to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, highlighted the incident, noting that such occurrences continue due to trains exceeding speed limits in designated elephant corridors. He described these deaths not as accidents but as the result of human negligence, emphasizing that speeding trains pose an ongoing threat to elephants and other wildlife.

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