Guwahati, Oct 20 (PTI) The Northeast Frontier Railway has decided to roll out a high-end acoustic-based technology in its network by April next year to prevent the death of elephants by speeding trains, a senior official said.
NFR Chief Public Relations Officer Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said trial works of the Intrusion Detection System (IDS) have been successfully commissioned in four important sections.
The IDS uses advanced optical fibre sensing technology to detect elephant movement near railway tracks, generating real-time alerts for train drivers and control rooms to take timely preventive action.
“We have undertaken a major initiative to ensure the safety of elephants and smooth train operations by implementing the IDS across the NFR network,” he said in a statement on Sunday night.
This innovative system aims to protect wildlife while maintaining operational efficiency, especially in areas where railway lines pass through forested and elephant-inhabited zones, the CPRO said.
When the jumbos come closer to the tracks, the vibration of their movement is captured by the cables, and the system will send acoustic signals to the control room.
The NFR had first installed IDS at two locations of the Lumding and Alipurduar divisions in 2022.
“The target date for completion of this expanded project has been set for April 2026, by which the system is expected to be fully functional across all identified elephant corridors,” Sharma said.
Trial of the IDS has been successfully commissioned in four important sections of NFR.
These are Madarihat–Nagrakata under the Alipurduar division, Habaipur–Lamsakhang–Patharkhola–Lumding under the Lumding division, the Rangiya division’s Kamakhya–Azara–Mirza section and Titabar–Mariani–Nakachari under Tinsukia.
“Together, these pilot installations cover a total of 64.03 km of elephant corridors and 141 km of block sections, marking a significant milestone in the railway’s commitment to wildlife protection and safe train movement,” the CPRO said.
The successful commissioning of these trial sections has paved the way for the next phase of IDS implementation across the remaining 146.4 km of elephant corridors of the NFR, he added.
“Through this initiative, the NFR reaffirms its commitment to sustainable development, environmental stewardship and passenger safety. By integrating technology with conservation, NFR is setting a national benchmark for responsible railway operations in biodiversity-rich regions,” Sharma said. PTI TR TR BDC
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