East Coast Railway to implement innovative system to protect Elephants from train collisions

Bhubaneswar: In a proactive move to safeguard elephants from train accidents, the East Coast Railway (ECoR) is set to introduce an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) in vulnerable elephant crossing areas and corridors in Odisha. The primary aim of this technology is to prevent unfortunate incidents where elephants are hit by trains.

The IDS, based on advanced acoustic technology using fiber optics, will instantly detect the presence of elephants on railway tracks. This AI-powered system covers a significant distance of 60 kilometers and has the capability to promptly inform control offices, station masters, gatemen, and train operators about the movement of elephants near the tracks.

This crucial system is budgeted at Rs 79.12 crore and will be implemented across all elephant crossing locations under ECoR’s jurisdiction. The technology ingeniously uses existing optical fibers as sensors for its operation.

Notable sections where the IDS will be deployed include Maneswar-Bamur, Turekela-Lakhna, Mahanadi, and Narla-Therubali within the Sambalpur circle. Additionally, Kapilas Road-Raja Athagarh-Angul, Rambha-Ganjam, and Nayagarh-Parjanpur sections under the Khordha Road circle will also embrace this protective measure.

Beyond its primary objective of elephant safety, the IDS system is anticipated to contribute to identifying rail fractures, detecting trespassing on tracks, and issuing alerts about potential disasters linked to unauthorized digging near railway lines and landslides in the vicinity.

This innovative approach finds its roots in the success of a pilot project undertaken by the North East Frontier Railway. The Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, has directed all railway zones to follow suit and adopt this beneficial system.