- At least seven elephants were killed in a Rajdhani Express collision in Assam's Hojai
- The train derailed, no passengers were injured in the early morning accident
- 79 elephants have died in train collisions in India over the past five years
At least seven elephants were killed and one calf injured after a herd collided with the Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express in Assam's Hojai on Saturday morning, leading to disruption of rail services.
The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express struck a herd of elephants, resulting in the derailment of the locomotive and five coaches. No passenger casualties or injuries were reported, officials said.
The New Delhi-bound train met with the accident around 2.17 am, PTI reported. The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express connects Mizoram's Sairang (near Aizawl) to Anand Vihar Terminal (Delhi).
Railway has issued helpline numbers at the Guwahati Railway Station:-
- 0361-2731621
- 0361-2731622
- 0361-2731623
The accident site is located about 126 km from Guwahati. Following the incident, accident relief trains and railway officials rushed to the spot to initiate rescue operations.
Expressing sorrow over the deaths of elephants, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident.
“We are deeply saddened by the death of seven elephants - three adults and four calves - in a tragic train collision earlier today,” he wrote on X.
We are deeply saddened by the death of seven elephants - three adults and four calves - in a tragic train collision earlier today.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) December 20, 2025
I have directed the Forest Department to conduct a detailed enquiry on this deeply disturbing accident and take steps to further secure our…
He added, “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.”
Train Services Disrupted
Sources said that due to the derailment and elephant body parts scattered on the tracks, train services to Upper Assam and other parts of the Northeast were affected.
Passengers from the affected coaches were temporarily accommodated in vacant berths available in other coaches of the train. Once the train reaches Guwahati, additional coaches will be attached to accommodate all passengers, after which the train will resume its onward journey.
The incident occurred at a location that is not a designated elephant corridor. The loco pilot, upon spotting the herd on the tracks, applied emergency brakes. Despite this, the elephants dashed into the train, leading to the collision and derailment.
The Chief Public Relations Officer of Northeast Frontier Railway, Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, expressed grief over the collision between the Sairang-Anand Vihar Rajdhani Express and a herd of elephants.
CPRO Sharma commended the loco pilot's decision to apply emergency brakes, a move that prevented passenger injuries.
"The Rajdhani Express, en route from Sairang to Anand Vihar, was approaching when the loco pilot spotted a herd of about 100 elephants crossing the railway tracks. He applied the emergency brakes, but some elephants were struck by the train," he told ANI.
Briefing on the restoration process, Sharma added, "Of the total 600 passengers in the train, the 200 passengers in the affected coaches have been safely shifted to other coaches and the train has resumed its journey."
He also mentioned that the restoration work is underway and will be finished promptly. The derailed coaches will soon be moved to resume regular train service, as only a single line is functioning currently.
Sharma further said nine trains have been cancelled, 13 regulated, and two short-terminated following the accident.
"In view of the derailment of train no. 20507 DN Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express in the Jamunamukh-Kampur section under Lumding division, train running through the down line in the Lumding-Guwahati section has been affected," Sharma told PTI.
Rangiya-New Tinsukia Express, Guwahati-Jorhat Town Jan Shatabdi Express, Guwahati-Badarpur Vistadome Express, and New Tinsukia-Rangiya Express are among the cancelled trains.
"The Train No. 15769 (Alipurduar-Mariani) will be short-terminated at Digaru and will remain cancelled between Digaru-Mariani, and 15770 (Mariani -Alipurduar) will be short originated from Digaru and will remain cancelled between Mariani-Digaru for the day," the NFR said.
Among the trains regulated are Sealdah-Sabroom Kanchanjunga Express, Dibrugarh-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari Vivek Express, and New Tinsukia-SMVT Bengaluru Express, it added.
Last month, an elephant was killed after being hit by a train in Dhupguri in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district. The incident took place on November 30.
The adult elephant was killed on the spot, and a calf was discovered lying injured beside the tracks.
Over 70 Elephants Killed In Train Collisions Over Last 5 Years
At least 79 elephants have died in train collisions across the country in the last five years, the Environment Ministry had informed Parliament in August.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh had said the figure is based on reports from state governments and Union Territory administrations for the period 2020-21 to 2024-25.
He said that the ministry does not maintain consolidated data on the deaths of other wild animals on railway tracks, including in designated elephant corridors.
Singh confirmed that three elephants, including a mother and her calf, were killed on July 18 this year after being hit by a speeding express train on the Kharagpur-Tatanagar section in West Bengal's Paschim Midnapore district. The incident took place near Banstala between Jhargram and Banstala stations.
The minister said several measures have been taken jointly by the Environment Ministry and the Railways to prevent such accidents.
These include imposing speed restrictions in elephant habitats, pilot projects such as seismic sensor-based detection of elephants near tracks and construction of underpasses, ramps and fencing at vulnerable points.
The Wildlife Institute of India, in consultation with the ministry and other stakeholders, has also issued guidelines titled 'Eco-friendly Measures to Mitigate Impacts of Linear Infrastructure' to help agencies design railways and other projects in ways that reduce human-animal conflicts.
Singh added that capacity-building workshops were conducted for railway officials at the Wildlife Institute of India in 2023 and 2024 to raise awareness on elephant conservation and protection.
A detailed report titled 'Suggested Measures to Mitigate Elephant & Other Wildlife Train Collisions on Vulnerable Railway Stretches in India' had also been prepared after surveys across 127 railway stretches covering 3,452 km.
Of these, 77 stretches spanning 1,965 km in 14 states were prioritised for mitigation, with site-specific interventions suggested.
(With inputs from agencies)
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