A young elephant was badly injured in the wee hours on Saturday after being hit by an express train between Raiwala and Motichur near in Rishikesh. The tusker, aged around 20 years, was chewing up leaves of trees close to the tracks when the mishap occurred, Rajaji Tiger Reserve Director Sanatan Sonkar said.
It was hit from behind by the Nanda Devi Express coming from New Delhi and left badly injured.
Traffic along the tracks from Dehradun to Haridwar and Rishikesh was disrupted for hours due to the incident, he said.
The pachyderm has been brought to Chilla range of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve for treatment, the official said.
The railway track has now been cleared and movement of trains along the section restored, he added.