To prevent lion-train collision, section of Amreli rail tracks lit

The Pipava-Surendranagar railway track is the lifeline of Pipavav port on Rajula coast of Amreli and witnesses a few dozen trains, most of them goods trains, plying on it every day.

The move by the forest department comes after seven Asiatic lions were run over by trains between July 21, 2023 and January 21, 2024 in Amreli. These collisions had taken place between sunset and sunrise. Earlier this week, the Railways agreed to put in place caution orders on permanent basis in lion hotspot areas, restricting speed of trains to 40 km per hour from sunset to sunrise.

Since then, the department has been clearing grass and shrubs from along the track so its staffers as well as loco pilots can spot any lion movement along the tracks. It has also installed watchtowers for its staff at strategic locations along the tracks, offering them a view of a larger landscape. “The solar lights are fitted with sensors, which make the lights brighter if any animal or human movement is detected in its range… Savarkundla and Lilia are the corridors used by lions settled in other parts of the area and are therefore busy corridors,” Sahu said.

Officers said that lamp posts with standalone solar lighting systems have been installed at distance of 25 m from one another, cumulatively illuminating around 1-km long stretch of the track in Borala, which had also seen lion casualties.

Sahu said the department is also trying to implement some Artificial Intelligence-enabled solutions to prevent lion deaths on tracks. “We have adopted a multi-pronged approach to prevent lion deaths on railway tracks. We have already deployed trackers whose job it is to patrol tracks and report any movement of lions near the tracks. Secondly, along the tracks, we have erected 23 watchtowers that will help trackers keep an eye on lion movement on a broader field.”

“We have also installed 49 signages indicating that the area is a lion territory to spread awareness among make new loco pilots. Fourthly, a joint WhatsApp group of railway and forest officers has been created to share real-time information of movement of trains on this line,” she added.

Rajdeepsin Zala, Deputy Conservator of Forests Gir (West) Wildlife Division, said that the lighting system in Borala is being treated as a pilot project. “We are trying the equipment supplied by three private agencies and are studying which one provides the best solutions.” “This lighting system is fully automatic, meaning they will switch on and switch off on their own. Illumination along the track will help loco pilots spot any wild animals near the tracks. It will also help our staff, as they would be able to keep scanning the area with their pairs of binoculars, which was not possible earlier due to lack of lighting,” Zala added.

There are nine lion hotspots along the Amreli section of Pipavav-Surendranagar railway line, where solar-powered LED lights, similar to street lights in cities, are to be installed, officials said. “Lions are moving from Gir forest and coastal areas of Jafrabad and Rajula to Bhavnagar district by using mainly two corridors – Shetrunji river’s floodplains in Lilia and Savarkundla and the sea coast of Pipavav. Lions have to invariable cross the railway line while using these corridors. So, it is necessary to secure identified lion hotspots,” an official said.