Not Possible To Reduce Speed Of Trains, Southern Railways To Madras HC On TN Elephant Deaths

Recently, three elephants, including a calf, were killed after a speeding train hit them in the Walayar sector between Palakkad and Podanur.

Madras HC | Credit: ABP Nadu

Chennai: It is not possible to reduce the speed of trains plying between Palakkad and Podanur to under 45 kmph to prevent hitting elephants, the Southern Railway has informed the Madras High Court.

The Railways also told the court that it is not possible to divert some of the trains in the Palakkad-Pollachi-Coimbatore route to prevent hitting of elephants.

Recently, three elephants, including a calf, were killed after a speeding train hit them in the Walayar sector between Palakkad and Podanur. The railway officials and forest officials of Tamil Nadu were on a confrontation path following the incident.

In the past, several elephants had lost their lives on the track after being hit by trains and hence the Tamil Nadu government had moved the Madras High Court to direct Railways to reduce the speed of trains at night under 45 kmph.

The counsel for the Railways PT Ramkumar appeared before a division bench of the court comprising Justices V Bharathidasan and N Sathish Kumar on Thursday and informed that at present trains in Palakkad-Podanur route is traveling at a speed of 45 kmph and it is not possible to further reduce the speed due to a gradient.

He informed the court that reducing the speed of trains below the least permissible limit may endanger the safety of passengers who are traveling, especially at night hours.

Ramkumar also said that it was not feasible or possible to divert the trains during night hours and added that there were two lines between Palakkad and Podanur via the Walayar Ghats. The 'A' line was 48.26 km long and the 'B' line was 52.56 km and both were electrified.

He said that if the trains are diverted through the alternate route from Palakkad to Podanur via Pollachi was 97.68 km long and also a single line. The Counsel for Railways said that it would take 143 more minutes of running time.

The counsel, however, told the court that the Southern Railway has established hanging solar fences and solar lights to prevent elephant deaths due to train hits.