Indians For Guns

It is plain heart breaking to see this repeated again and again. When do our policy makers open their eyes and try to prevent this happening repeatedly? That was a rhetorical question.

Warning: Graphic image below.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... India.html

A passenger train plowed into a herd of elephants in eastern India, killing seven, including two calves, as they lumbered across the tracks in a forest, authorities said.
The crash was the worst of its kind in recent memory, said Hiten Burman, forestry minister in West Bengal. Ten other elephants were seriously injured and the death toll could rise, he said.
The train was traveling at 80 kilometers (50 miles) an hour through the Chapramari Forest, near Gorumara National Park, when it struck the herd of 40 elephants crossing the tracks on Wednesday at dusk, Burman said.

‘The herd scattered, but returned to the railway tracks and stood there for quite some time before they were driven away by forest guards and railroad workers who rushed to the spot after the accident,’ he said.

Burman said railway authorities have ignored requests from his department to have trains reduce their speeds inside the elephant corridor in Jalpaiguri district, about 670 kilometers (415 miles) from Kolkata, the state capital.
Dozens of elephants have died in recent years after being struck while crossing railroad tracks that run through India's national parks and forests. In December, a train killed five elephants in neighboring Orissa state.
‘It is an irony that elephants are being killed by speeding trains in north Bengal on regular intervals, even though it has been declared as the heritage animal in India and an elephant cub is the mascot of Indian Railways,’ said Animesh Basu, a wildlife activist and coordinator of the Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation.
Basu, who blamed unrestricted movement of trains for the accident, said at least 50 elephants have been killed by trains since 2004 in West Bengal state.
India's wild elephant population was recently estimated at about 26,000.

It is very very sad indeed. Heart wrenching. Awareness of such previous accidents for railway drivers and other staff is a necessity. Moreover IFS babus should foresee such perils of animals and make policy and fund allotments for animal / wildlife bridges and all departments should be informed of such needs of wild life . I think that penal action against the concerned driver will send a strong signal to all railway and forest staff.

It is very very sad indeed. Heart wrenching. Awareness of such previous accidents for railway drivers and other staff is a necessity. Moreover IFS babus should foresee such perils of animals and make policy and fund allotments for animal / wildlife bridges and all departments should be informed of such needs of wild life . I think that penal action against the concerned driver will send a strong signal to all railway and forest staff.

Penal action against the "loco driver"? That is one of the strangest things that I have ever heard.
Do you know how much a train weighs? Do you know how long it takes to stop a loaded train when you have steel wheels on steel rails?
A train is not like a car. You don't just apply the brakes and stop it in a few feet. Unless you can defy the laws of physics, you are not going to stop a loaded train when an obstacle suddenly appears in front of you.
Please keep in mind that commuter trains are relatively light and can stop quicker but your average long distance express or loaded goods train are usually significantly heavier.
Even if you (go into emergency braking) dump all the air and apply the engine brakes fully, it can take up to half a mile or more to stop a loaded train.

If you want the train to be able to stop quickly, you would have to travel really slow. Then the passengers, shippers, etc would be the first to complain. Not to mention that it would only allow fewer trains per day to travel that line. So it would not be economically feasible to continue running on that line. You are correct, however, when you say that a wildlife bridge or underpass might help alleviate the problem but blaming the locomotive "driver", when he has very little control over the issue is not the solution.

‘It is an irony that elephants are being killed by speeding trains in north Bengal on regular intervals, even though it has been declared as the heritage animal in India and an elephant cub is the mascot of Indian Railways,’ said Animesh Basu, a wildlife activist and coordinator of the Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation.

Basu, who blamed unrestricted movement of trains for the accident, said at least 50 elephants have been killed by trains since 2004 in West Bengal state.

"Speeding trains", "unrestricted train movements"??? What a "maroon"!
The "engine driver" operates according to a timetable and operating rules for a particular route. If he doesn't keep to the posted speeds and adhere to the timetable, he will be fired and they will get someone who will follow their regulations. Once again, as I said, if you go too slow and restrict the number of trains per day, the line becomes economically unfeasible to run. Not to mention the irate passengers who will be calling their MP, etc.

veeveeaar wrote: Moreover IFS babus should foresee such perils of animals and make policy and fund allotments for animal / wildlife bridges and all departments should be informed of such needs of wild life.

You are correct, they can work if implemented properly but they are expensive


Scotch Plains, New Jersey, USA.


another one in NJ

Animal bridges around the world.
Wildlife Crossings

Very sad and unfortunate, maybe this will prompt the government to do something to prevent such incidents in the future. Herb