On February 19, a tragic incident took place when six wild elephants were killed after colliding with the Meenagaya night mail train which was travelling from Colombo to Batticaloa. According to the Department of Wildlife Conservation, the accident occurred around 11.30 p.m. near the 140 km mark between the Minneriya and the Gal Oya railway stations.
This incident has once again sparked widespread discussion about elephant fatalities on railway tracks. Various groups have voiced their concerns and suggestions, with many calling for urgent measures to prevent such accidents in the future.
Amidst the public outcry, questions remain about the true cause of these collisions. To uncover the facts, the Sunday Observer set out to speak with engine drivers and investigate the underlying reasons behind such tragedies. This article presents the findings of that investigation.
A tragic toll
The Sri Lanka Railway Department established in 1864, operates one of the oldest railway networks in Asia. Initially built by the British to transport tea and coffee from the plantations to the ports, the railway system now serves as a crucial mode of transport for passengers and goods. However, as railway tracks especially along the Main, Northern, Eastern and Mannar tracks cut across elephant habitats, they have become unintended death traps for these gentle giants.
In the 50 days leading up to February 19, 2025, a staggering 65 elephant deaths were reported, nine of which resulted from train collisions. This equates to an average of more than one elephant dying per day during this period.
Elephant fatalities due to train collisions have been a growing concern in recent years. Government data shows that 24 elephants were killed in train collisions in 2023, with the number dropping to 11 in 2024.
According to BBC reports, Sri Lanka has witnessed a significant number of elephant deaths over the past few years, with train accidents contributing to a growing portion of these fatalities.
In 2020, 328 elephants lost their lives, with three deaths attributed to train collisions. The following year, 275 elephant deaths were recorded, including six due to train accidents. The numbers surged in 2022, with 439 elephant deaths, of which 14 were caused by trains.
In 2023, the situation worsened, as 488 elephants were killed, with 24 deaths resulting from train collisions. Although the overall elephant death toll slightly decreased in 2024 to 388, train accidents still accounted for 11 fatalities. As of mid-February 2025, 65 elephants have already died, with nine of these deaths caused by train accidents, highlighting the persistent danger posed by railway tracks intersecting elephant habitats. A closer look at these figures reveal that train collisions are not the leading cause of elephant deaths in Sri Lanka. Instead, most fatalities result from the human-elephant conflict and illegal activities, such as poaching and poisoning. However, train-related deaths remain a serious issue that warrants attention and preventive measures.
Why do such incidents spark outrage if train accidents account for only a fraction of elephant deaths? Why does society often blame engine drivers for these fatalities portraying them as criminals? Do train drivers intentionally kill elephants or is it an unavoidable consequence of railway operations? Is the Sri Lanka Railways Department fulfilling its responsibility to prevent these accidents? Our investigation seeks to answer these pressing questions.
RTI findings
In 2023, using the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the reporter was able to obtain information from the Department of Wildlife Conservation on wild elephant deaths between 2010 and 2022. The findings were alarming. According to statistics received from 2010 to 2025, 4,712 elephants perished across 139 Divisional Secretariat in 18 districts due to various causes. The highest number of elephant deaths was recorded in 2023, highlighting the escalating crisis.
Seeking further insight, another RTI application was submitted to the Department of Wildlife Conservation regarding elephant crossings along Sri Lanka’s railway network. The response revealed that there were nine identified elephant crossings where railway tracks intersect elephant migration routes. Notably, data indicates that the majority of train-related elephant deaths occur at these designated crossings. A recent Minneriya accident also occurred at one of the nine identified elephant crossings. These findings raise critical questions about the effectiveness of current mitigation efforts and whether the authorities are doing enough to prevent such disasters.
The aftermath
Following the tragic train accident on February 19, 2025, a group of environmental activists staged a protest in front of the Sri Lanka Railway Department on February 21. The protesters demanded the arrest of the engine driver involved in the incident, holding him responsible for the deaths.
Among the vocal critics was founder of RARE Sri Lanka and an environmental activist, Panchali Panapitiya. Speaking to the media, she made strong allegations against engine drivers.
“Train drivers speed through areas where they know elephants are likely to cross. No one checks if they are under the influence of drugs. How can we be sure they are even driving with a clear mind? Our railway system should have an early warning system such as in other countries, but what good is technology if drivers set the engine on autopilot and fall asleep? We often see them dozing off while driving. Drivers must act with compassion,” she said.
Panapitiya suggested that if the Government and the Railways Department cannot prevent elephants from being knocked down by trains, they should change the schedule of the Meenagaya night mail train, preventing trains from running between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. when elephants are most active.
Environmentalists have consistently raised concerns about train-related elephant deaths, often blaming the drivers and authorities for negligence. But do these accusations reflect reality? To find out, the Sunday Observer visited the Maradana Railway Station to get information directly from train drivers.
Train drivers
W. A. L. A. Weerasekara is an experienced train driver who has been operating the Meenagaya train from Maho to Batticaloa for two-and-a-half years. He vehemently rejected the accusations made against them.
“We never kill animals intentionally. Even if it’s a chicken on the tracks, we try to stop the train. Everyone talks about the elephants we’ve knocked down, but no one talks about the ones we’ve saved. I have personally prevented my train from hitting elephants on more than ten occasions.”
As proof of what he said, he showed videos on his mobile phone of elephants that he had avoided during his journeys. Weerasekara also spoke of the lack of technological support from the railway authorities: “Our railway system is over 100- years- old, and we have no technology to prevent such accidents.
A few years ago, crores were spent installing GPS devices on our trains but they are absolutely useless. It only shows the location of the next station. If it works properly, we will be able to see obstacles ahead. But this project was teeming with corruption. For years, the Railways Department has ignored the issue of elephant collisions”, he said.
Another senior driver, S. R. C. M. Senanayaka, revealed a critical shortage of train drivers in Sri Lanka. “Right now, Sri Lanka Railways needs at least 458 drivers, but only 210 to 220 are available. We are constantly working overtime to cover this shortage. That’s why retired drivers are being rehired. The driver involved in the recent accident was one of them. We have been calling on the Government to recruit new drivers, but even if a group is hired this year, the requirement is that they should undergo a three – year training before they can operate a train.”
Hidden causes
Another train driver, D. M. I. K. Dissanayake shared a startling revelation. “In some villages, farmers deliberately drive elephants onto railway tracks because they hold a deep grudge against wild elephants. I have seen it happe. After an elephant is hit by a train these very same people pretend to be terribly heartbroken”, he said.
He also spoke of another little-known fact. “Many elephants in the wild have damaged hearing due to gunfire, explosive traps and elephant bullets. Normally, elephants have excellent hearing, but when they lose this ability, they don’t hear the approaching train. That’s why they get caught on the tracks.”
Dissanayake also described the herd mentality of elephants: “If a calf is on the tracks and a train approaches, the adult elephants won’t abandon it. They wait until the calf moves to safety, even at the risk of their own lives. This is what likely happened in the recent Minneriya accident”, he said.
At the Fort Railway Station, the Meenagaya Night Mail could be seen preparing to depart for Batticaloa at 7 p.m. The train stood undisturbed on platform six with a diverse group of passengers on board. A few commuters occupied the First Class compartment.
The sleeping berth had only four passengers, while the Second Class compartment was moderately filled with commuters being seated. In contrast, the Third Class carriages was overcrowded, packed with families and passengers carrying heavy luggage. Many belonged to the lower-middle class commuting to Colombo for work or returning to their hometowns.
Some had arrived that morning on the night mail train, freshened up at the Colombo Fort Station restrooms, completed their essential tasks in the city and were now heading back home on the same night train.
This raises an important question. If, as some Colombo-based environmentalists suggest, the Meenagaya train is halted what will become of the people who rely on it for their daily travel? Many depend on this service for work, education and essential journeys often with no viable alternatives. Would their needs be taken into consideration or would they be left struggling without affordable and accessible transport?
A seat that no one wants
The Meenagaya train driver for the day K.W.G Pushpakumara was seen carefully inspecting his train before departure. When asked about the accident, he pointed out his 70-year-old engine and said,
“Do you know how old this engine is?. It’s almost 70-years-old. It was brought from Canada decade’s ago”, he said.
He then showed the driver’s seat, a tiny, cramped, noisy space filled making it impossible to sleep even if one wanted to. He dismissed the claim that drivers fall asleep on the job. “Do you think I can sleep sitting in this seat?” he queried.
Pushpakumara said that if Sri Lanka invested in new engines, cleared the overgrowth on both sides of the tracks and installed brighter headlights, train-related elephant deaths could be eliminated. “If the tracks were cleared, we would be able to see elephants at a distance and halt the train in time. This old engine barely works. Sometimes, the brakes fail. The tracks are in a terrible state with uneven terrain. People who blame us don’t understand how difficult it is to drive a train under these conditions”, he said.
Beyond blame
The tragic deaths of elephants on Sri Lanka’s railways are not isolated incidents. They are symptoms of a larger, systemic failure, one where outdated infrastructure, poor planning, lack of technological intervention and deep-seated human-elephant conflict collide with devastating consequences.
The tragic incident led to a special discussion in Parliament on February 20 to address the pressing issue of wild elephants being hit by trains.
The meeting, chaired by Minister of Transport and Highways, Bimal Ratnayake and Minister of Environment, Dhammika Patabendi included senior officials from the Ministries of Transport, Environment and Digital, as well as representatives from the Department of Railways, the Department of Wildlife Conservation and various other environmental organisations.
During the discussion, officials emphasised the need to enhance visibility along high-risk railway tracks and integrate modern technology, such as digital monitoring systems and advanced lighting on trains to prevent such incidents.
At a Cabinet briefing later that week, Cabinet spokesman and Mass Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa acknowledged the failure of previous efforts to reduce the human-elephant conflict and prevent train-related elephant deaths.
“With this latest incident, we are committed to implementing a scientific and sustainable solution that will allow railway operations to continue while ensuring the protection of elephants,” he said.
However, the Department of Railways has approved a trial run of an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based camera system developed by the Engineering Faculty of the University of Peradeniya to prevent collisions between trains and wild elephants.
According to Railways General Manager, Dhammika Jayasundara, the Department has already given the green light for the trial. The newly invented AI-based camera system, which will be mounted on the railway engine, is capable of alerting train drivers of any object within a 500-metre radius ahead of the train.
While new measures have been proposed to address the tragic elephant-train collisions, one must ask whether these will truly be implemented effectively to prevent further deaths. The failure to prioritise proper infrastructure, modern technology and clear communication between the railway authorities, environmentalists and the Government has led to unnecessary fatalities and a harmful cycle of blame.
Blaming train engine drivers alone is neither fair nor productive as they operate under outdated and unsafe conditions. The discussions must move beyond the blame game and towards a collective effort to ensure the protection of both elephants and humans. The real challenge lies in translating promises into action, ensuring that the necessary reforms are not just planned but actively implemented with political will, driving the creation of sustainable, life saving solutions. Only then will Sri Lanka be able to safeguard its elephants and prevent further tragedies.
