Suggested measured to mitigate elephant and other wildlife train collisions on vulnerable railway stretches in India

Abstract

The Indian railways serves as a vital transportation lifeline for the country, facilitating the movement of people and goods nationwide. However its extensive network has also contributed to major threats to Asian elephants and other wildlife in Certain regions. Additionally railway infrastructure can act as a barrier restricting wildlife movement and leading to habitat fragmentation. To address the issue of wildlife fatalities resulting from train collision, the MoEFCC with the WII and the Ministry of railways had initially identified 110 sensitive railway stretches across the elephant distribution range in India with 17 additional sensitive stretches identified in two Indian tiger range states.