Sairang Rajdhani Express derails after hitting elephants in Assam, 8 elephants killed, passengers safe

An unfortunate incident occurred in the early hours of 20 December 2025 when Train No. 20507 Sairang Rajdhani Express collided with a herd of elephants in the Jamunamukh–Kampur section under the Lumding Division of Northeast Frontier Railway in Assam. The accident took place at around 2:15 am, nearly 126 km from Guwahati.

After the collision, the locomotive and five coaches derailed, and eight elephants were killed after coming under the train. Railway officials confirmed that no passengers or railway staff were injured. According to the Railways, the loco pilot applied emergency brakes after spotting the elephants on the track, but the train could not stop in time. The impact was so severe that the train went off the track.

Swift Rescue and Restoration Operations

Following the incident, senior officials of Northeast Frontier Railway, including the General Manager and the Divisional Railway Manager of Lumding, rushed to the site along with accident relief trains and technical teams. Restoration work was taken up on priority and was later completed.

Passengers from the affected coaches were temporarily accommodated in vacant berths in other coaches. After detaching the derailed coaches, the train resumed its journey to Guwahati at 6:15 am.

Growing Concern Over Wildlife–Train Collisions

Railway authorities clarified that the accident did not occur in a notified elephant corridor. As a precaution, trains passing through the affected section are being diverted via the Up line. Officials reiterated that passenger safety remains the top priority, and measures are being reviewed to prevent such incidents in wildlife-prone areas.

Incidents of elephants being hit by trains while crossing tracks have been reported repeatedly, especially in the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zone, where railway lines pass through remote regions and dense forests. According to government data, 81 elephants died in train collisions between 2019–20 and 2023–24, as informed by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

To address this issue, the government has launched a mitigation project under which 77 sensitive railway stretches across 14 states, covering 1,965.2 km, have been prioritised. Site-specific measures are being implemented to keep wild animals away from railway tracks when trains pass through these vulnerable areas.