Piyush Goyal Lauds Train Crew, Loco Pilot for Saving 3 Elephants Crossing Tracks in West Bengal

Union Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal has applauded the loco pilot and crew of a train after they stopped on time to save the lives of three elephants crossing the tracks. The incident occurred at the Sivok-Gulma section in West Bengal when it was pitch dark outside. The incident was captured by one of the crew members, which was later shared by Goyal through his Twitter handle on Tuesday.

“The alertness & prompt action of loco pilot & crew helped to save lives of three elephants including one baby elephant crossing rail tracks on Sivok-Gulma section in West Bengal. The train stopped immediately, waiting for the elephants to safely cross over to the other side,” tweeted Goyal.

As can be seen in the video, three elephants including a baby were idling around the tracks. They were spotted due to the flashlights installed at the front of the engine. The prompt action of the driver allowed the pachyderms to pass unhurt.

The clip has been viewed more than 1.36 lakh times and liked by thousands of tweeple, who have expressed their joy and relief at the unusual sight of the elephants being saved on the railway tracks.

“Great job by the crew! High-quality thermal imaging cameras would give an additional level of surveillance support - especially at night,” suggested one user.

“Love the kindness and responsibility,” read another comment.

A similar incident occurred last year when a herd of 25 elephants was saved by the alertness of the railway crew. That incident occurred near Dekargaon station in Assam. That time too, Railway Minister Goyal had shared the video of the incident and lauded the efforts of the crew.

Unfortunately, such incidents don’t always have a happy ending and often wild animals become the victim of accidents. One such incident occurred a couple of months ago between Patharkhula and Lamsakhang railway station in Hojai district of Assam when an elephant and a calf were crushed by a train. Following the incident, the state forest department had seized the engine from the Bamunimaidam railway yard in Guwahati and an inquiry was ordered.