In India, railway tracks often pass through forests that are also elephant corridors. As rail networks expand, the risk to wildlife increases, especially to elephants. 

Between 2019–20 and 2023–24, 81 wild elephants were killed after being hit by trains, according to official data presented in parliament. Looking back further, from 1987 to 2023, hundreds of elephants have lost their lives in train strikes. 

States such as Assam and West Bengal are major hotspots, where railway lines cut through key elephant habitats. In a tragic accident in 2025, in Assam’s Hojai district, seven elephants were killed when a high-speed train struck a herd at night—when visibility is low and many trains operate. 

These numbers reveal more than isolated incidents. They reflect a growing conflict between expanding infrastructure and shrinking wildlife corridors. 

As trains move faster and forests grow smaller, the question remains: can development and the movement of wildlife ever share the same track safely?