Rourkela train services were disrupted from around 2am on Sunday after a herd of 24 wild elephants occupied railway tracks and adjoining areas near Bandamunda on the Howrah–Mumbai main line, delaying passenger and express trains and leaving travellers stranded on board.
The herd was moving between the ‘A’ Cabin and ‘D’ Cabin sections at Bandamunda, which falls under the Panposh forest range. The elephants had not moved away from the railway area by daybreak, preventing the Railways from restoring normal train operations along the section.
According to the report, the herd consisted of five tuskers, three calves and 16 female elephants. Its presence affected the movement of four passenger trains, while several express trains were also disrupted. Passengers faced extended delays in reaching their destinations as railway authorities monitored the movement of the animals.
Forest officials and squads from the Panposh and Bisra forest ranges reached the site after the disruption began. The teams started efforts to move the elephants safely away from the tracks and guide them towards the forest. Railway authorities were also tracking the herd’s movement while train operations remained affected.
Ravikant Meena, divisional forest officer of the Rourkela forest division, said teams from both forest ranges were working to move the herd away from the railway tracks. “Our effort is to ensure that the elephants do not come back to the railway track,” Meena said, adding that officials planned to drive the herd towards the forest on Sunday evening.
The incident placed railway operations and wildlife movement in direct conflict along a busy rail corridor. While the immediate priority for forest teams was to prevent the elephants from returning to the tracks, the Railways faced the operational challenge of managing passenger and express traffic until the area was considered safe for normal movement. The report did not specify the duration of individual train delays or the number of express services affected.
Normal train operations were expected to resume after forest officials moved the herd away from the railway line and railway authorities confirmed that the tracks and surrounding areas were clear.
