Safety of elephants: Southern Railway to commission elephant detection system by July end

Chennai, July 21 (IANS) In a significant move to enhance the safety of wild elephants and ensure secure train operations, the Palakkad Division of Southern Railway is set to complete pre-commissioning activities of the Elephant Intrusion Detection System (EIDS) in the Kottekkad-Madukkarai stretch by July 30.  

The region, which lies along the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, is known for frequent wild elephant movements, making it a vulnerable zone for both animals and rail traffic.

To address this concern, the Palakkad Division has deployed the EIDS, a cutting-edge system designed to detect elephant movements in real time and help avert potential collisions.

According to officials, the EIDS integrates an optical fibre-based sensing network with artificial intelligence-driven analytical modules. This fusion of technology enables the detection of elephant presence and movement with high accuracy, ensuring swift alerts to key railway personnel.

The system has already been installed on both the A Line and B Line of the Kottekkad-Madukkarai section.

“We are currently in the final phase of pre-commissioning, which involves validating the signal accuracy, fine-tuning the system, and reducing unconfirmed or spurious alarms,” a railway official said.

“Our goal is to complete these activities before the end of July,” said Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Palakkad Division, Arun Kumar Chaturvedi, who conducted an inspection of the project site on Saturday to review the implementation progress and ensure operational readiness.

A press release issued by the Palakkad Railway Division confirmed that once the system is live, verified alerts will be transmitted without delay to relevant stakeholders. These include the station masters of nearby stations, the Divisional Control Office, level crossing staff between stations, and locomotive pilots.

The alerts will be delivered through dedicated display systems and alert interfaces, enabling real-time operational responses.

The EIDS initiative is expected to significantly reduce the risk of elephant-train collisions, which have been a persistent concern in forested railway stretches of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

By adopting this proactive and technology-driven approach, Indian Railways hopes to strike a balance between wildlife conservation and safe railway operations.

--IANS

aal/skp