Rajdhani waits as 90 jumbos cross rail tracks

Dibrugarh-Delhi Rajdhani Express halted near Habaipur station in Hojai district on Wednesday, allowing a herd of approximately 90 elephants, mostly calves, to cross the tracks safely. The herd, returning from West Karbi Anglong to Lumding Reserve Forest, was detected by forest personnel around 4:30-5 am. Manik Baruah, a forest range officer, explained that they informed the railways and the railways promptly halted the Rajdhani Express, which was approaching from Dibrugarh towards Guwahati.

Two teams were formed, one led by forester-I Sashanka Roy to stop the train and the other, led by Baruah, to prevent any trains from the Guwahati end from approaching. The forest department and railways cooperated to ensure the elephants' safe passage. The herd migrates between Lumding Reserve Forest, West Karbi Anglong, Lumding Reserve Forest again, and Kumurakata forest annually.

Around 15 elephants are considered residents in Lumding Reserve Forest. Northeast Frontier Railway CPRO Kapinjal Kishore Sharma praised the forest department's timely alert, the Intrusion Detection System, and the train crew's vigilance in preventing elephant-train interactions and protecting wildlife.