Protecting elephants: Indian Railways using AI-enabled intrusion detection system and other measures

For Indians, elephants hold immense cultural, ecological, and religious significance. The jumbos a crucial role in maintaining forest ecosystems by dispersing seeds and creating water sources. However, habitat destruction, poaching, and human-elephant conflicts threaten their survival.

We have come across several incidents in different parts of India and Odisha as well where elephants get killed after being hit by trains. The Indian Railways has now taken up several measures to protect the elephants.

The Measures…

One of the innovative measures taken by the Indian Railways is development of AI-enabled Intrusion Detection System (IDS) for detecting presence of elephants on Railway tracks using Distributed Acoustic Sensors (DAS). 

The system components include Optical Fiber, hardware and pre-installed signatures of elephant locomotion. The system alerts loco pilots, station masters and Control Room about the movement of elephants on track’s proximity, for taking preventive action timely.

The IDS system is working over 141 Rkms on critical and  vulnerable locations identified by forest department in Northeast Frontier Railway. This device has been reported to be very effective in protection of elephants.

Works of IDS have been sanctioned for identified corridors for a total length of 1158 Rkm at total cost of Rs. 208 Crore covering NFR, ECOR, SR, NR, SER, NER, WR and ECR. The installation of this system is in progress over ECOR (349.4 Rkm), SR (55.85 Rkm) and NER (36 Rkm) also.

In Case Of Train Hitting? 

In case of any hitting incidence of elephant with train, Zonal Railways investigate the matter in close coordination with Forest department and takes immediate steps accordingly, informed the Indian Railways.

Construction of underpasses and ramps for the movement of elephants at identified locations.

Provision of fencing along the track.

Provision of signage boards at all identified elephant corridors to pre-warn the loco pilots.

Clearance of vegetation and edible items surrounding the track within railway land.

Providing LED lights with a solar system in forest area.

Deployment of elephant trackers engaged by Forest Department for timely action by alerting station master and loco pilots, are taken.

To prevent the movement of wild animals/ elephants near railway tracks, innovative Honey Bee buzzer devices have been installed at level crossings. The sound created by this device acts as a repellent to move elephants away from railway track.

Thermal vision camera is also being tried for detecting presence of wild animals on straight track during night/poor visibility which alerts loco pilots for presence of wild animals.

The Measures Have Yielded Results

As a consequence of above measures taken by the Indian Railways, elephant deaths have reduced from 26 in 2013 to only 12 in 2024, a reduction of more than 50%.