The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the General Manager of Southern Railway to constitute a team of higher officials, of the rank of heads of departments in charge of train operations, to study the feasibility of reducing the speed of trains between Palakkad in Kerala and Podanur in Coimbatore so as to prevent elephant deaths.
Justices N. Sathish Kumar and D. Bharatha Chakravarhy took serious note of the death of two female elephants and the injury caused to an elephant calf on the track on October 14. The Bench had been passing a series of orders, on a public interest litigation petition, for the last one year in order to prevent death of elephants due to train hits on the stretch.
Since 24 elephants had died on the stretch between 1978 and 2021, it directed the standing counsel for Southern Railway P.T. Ramkumar to ensure that two underpasses were constructed for safe movement of the pachyderms. Accordingly, the Railway Board sanctioned ₹7.49 crore for the underpasses and the construction was under way.
However, on the court’s insistence that the speed of the trains should also be reduced, the railway officials told the court that the trains between Palakkad and Podanur were operated at a speed of 45 kmph between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. and it would not be possible to reduce the speed further owing to the steep gradient.
The court was told that there were two lines between Palakkad and Podanur through the Walayar Ghats. The ‘A’ line was 48.26 km long and the ‘B’ line was 52.56 km long. Mr. Ramkumar said nearly 90% of the elephant deaths had occurred only on the ‘B’ line and that the accident on October 14, too, had been reported on the same line.
He also referred to a report filed by the railway officials stating that the speed of trains was calculated based on ‘attacking speed,’ below which the trains would not be able to negotiate in a given gradient and curvature and that running the trains below the least permissible limit might endanger the safety of passengers.
Appalled by the recent deaths of the pachyderms and the injury sustained by a calf, the judges said the report submitted in the court did not appear to be backed by a scientific study or research. Therefore, they ordered constitution of a committee to study the feasibility of reducing the speed or constructing an elevated track on the stretch.
The judges added that the committee should consider the feasibility of operating the trains through an alternative route from Palakkad to Podanur through Pollachi. The report of the committee should be filed in the court by November 24, the judges ordered and said they shall take a call on seeking external opinion, too, after perusing the report.
Further, the Bench directed the Palakkad Divisional Railway Manager to be present in the court at the next hearing along with a report on the recent death of the elephants. The officials were also directed to produce the speedometer chart of the day when the accident occurred.
