News
Slow the train speed in high-risk areas only to curb elephantine tragedies
View(s):- GPS tracking data on elephant movement and data on past accidents on the three most dangerous railroads for elephants will help map and identify the high-risk areas, urges expert Dr. Prithiviraj Fernando
By Kumudini Hettiarachchi
Prompt action based on scientific data and logical thinking to prevent the tragedy of wild elephants dying on the railtrack is the dire need, as Sri Lanka and the world mourned the victims of the horrific accident early morning on Thursday, February 20.
Science is the answer and there is an evidence-based solution to halt the recurrence of train-elephant collisions, said Dr. Prithiviraj Fernando who has spent a major part of his life studying wild elephants including those in areas such as Galgamuwa and Habarana where these tragedies occur.
Two adults and four babies died on the spot near the 141st milepost between the Gal Oya and Hingurakgoda Railway Stations, when ‘Meenagaya’ hit a herd of elephants as they crossed the track, while an injured calf died a few days later.
The horrific accident early morning on Thursday, February 20
The heart-wrenching images of a pregnant elephant mourning the death of a calf which went viral, brought tears and sighs even to the most hard-hearted.
“Trains need to go slow in ‘high-risk’ areas where elephants frequently cross the tracks,” reiterated Dr. Fernando, the Chairman of the Centre for Conservation and Research (CCR), logically explaining how a majority of elephant deaths on the railtracks can be stopped.
On how Sri Lanka can identify these ‘high-risk’ areas, he says that an analysis of previous incidents clearly points towards most train-elephant collisions occurring on the northern line to Jaffna and on the eastern lines to Trincomalee and Batticaloa. It is not needed for the trains to “go slow” along the full length of these routes. 
“We already have GPS elephant tracking data on elephant movement around these three routes. We also have data on past incidents where elephants have been hit while crossing the track. These data would help to map and identify the high-risk areas,” he stressed.
Then, according to Dr. Fernando, the train speed could be limited in those high-risk areas of these routes. Elephants which get hit are only those which actually cross within a certain distance in front of the train as it approaches.
“If the train is going at a speed of 100km per hour, an elephant crossing within about 100m of the approaching train will get hit. If, however, the train is going at a speed of 20km per hour, the elephant would have to cross within 15m of the approaching train to be hit,” he said, pointing out that the distance a train or any other vehicle takes to slow and stop after the brakes are applied is also directly related to the speed (see graphic), with the ‘stopping’ distance greatly multiplying with increased speed.
He explained that additionally, the damage done also greatly decreases with decreasing speed as evidenced by studies done on motorcar accidents (see graphic). The same principles hold true for trains too.
Therefore, with decreased speeds, the chances of hitting the elephants would be much less and the possibility of loss of elephants and damage to track and trains greatly decreased, underscored Dr. Fernando. 
Drawing an analogy with vehicular traffic on roads, he said that while the speed limit is set lowest in densely-populated towns such as Colombo, in remoter areas it is set higher. On the highways it is even higher because there are no issues about people crossing the road. The same needs to apply to areas with a high risk of collisions with wild elephants.
Sadly focusing on the latest tragedy, he said that all the dead elephants, except one were females which would have reproduced and ensured the propagation of the species. But it was not to be – the entire herd’s line has been snuffed out in one hit. This is a major conservation loss which has sent negative vibrations across the country and the world, when Sri Lanka is looking at tourism promotion.
Ever-practical, this elephant lover and conservationist says that even though an adequate number of ‘underpasses’ as wildlife crossings would be the ideal solution, for Sri Lanka with its economic troubles, it is not an easy measure. Elevation of the railway through high-risk areas would entail an enormous cost and would not be possible in the foreseeable future.
“Let’s look at what is doable and effective. Identifying high-risk areas using elephant tracking data and train collision statistics and reducing the speed when passing through these vulnerable sections would save the lives of elephants and prevent economic losses from the damage to trains and tracks and also delays and cancellations of trains. It will prevent such elephantine tragedies from recurring,” added Dr. Fernando.
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