Haridwar –A baby elephant died after being hit by the Howrah–Doon Express (13009) near Raiwala on the Haridwar–Dehradun railway route on Monday morning. The accident occurred between Motichur and Raiwala stations inside the Rajaji Tiger Reserve’s Haridwar range, an area known as a traditional elephant corridor.
According to forest officials, the incident took place at around 6:31 AM when a herd of elephants was crossing the track. While the herd managed to cross, a six to eight-year-old calf trailing behind was struck by the approaching train and died on the spot.
Following the accident, the Vande Bharat Express headed to Delhi Anand Vihar was halted at Raiwala station. Forest authorities have registered a case under the Wildlife Protection Act against loco pilot Khushi Ram Maurya and assistant loco pilot Deepak Kumar. Both have reportedly been detained for inquiry.
Forest officer Ajay Lingwal confirmed the registration of the case and said that the investigation will focus on negligence and protocol compliance. The incident has renewed concerns about poor coordination between the Forest Department and Railways, especially on routes passing through wildlife corridors.
In the past 38 years, 33 elephants have been killed by trains on this same track. Multiple fatal incidents have been recorded, including deaths in 2023 near Sitapur crossing, two cases in 2021 near Lachhiwala and in November, and several earlier deaths between 2016 and 2020. Conservation groups say repeated accidents raise serious questions about monitoring, warning systems, and speed control in sensitive zones.
Despite repeated assurances of preventive measures, ground-level monitoring in high-risk zones remains inadequate, and the latest death has again highlighted the urgent need for stricter wildlife safety protocols.
