An exclusive subway/underpass for wild elephants is Southern Railway’s solution to the ever increasing number of these animals that lose their lives to trains traversing through the ‘suburbs’ of the forests in Tamil Nadu-Kerala border.
The wild terrain between Coimbatore and Palakkad has become a graveyard of wild elephants which get hit by trains passing through this stretch. More than 20 elephants have fallen victims to the trains in the last decade while they cross the rail tracks in search of food and water.
The rail track that separates the reserve forests of the western Ghats from human habitation is a nightmare for the pachyderms. They are not able to make out the locomotives because of the distinct topography of the region. Most of the accidents happen during night hours as the elephants stand bewildered in the floodlight of the trains and their shrill warning siren.
“The trains travel slowly in this stretch of the route and it is not possible to bring down the speed further as it could lead to accidents. The elevation of the tracks through this route mandates a minimum speed to ensure safety of the trains and passengers,” a senior official of Southern Railway told The Pioneer.