Abstract: India is planning to expand its railway infrastructure across the nation (including the protected areas) to boost economic development. However, there is little clarity about how the loss accrued to the habitat and how protecting wildlife from rail accidents will be handled. This paper provides an insight into the judicious combination of conservation and development. It suggests sustainable ways to address both of them effectively: policy gaps, lack of adequate mitigation strategies and half-hearted measures at implementation compound the problem. India needs growth, but it cannot be achieved at the cost of wildlife that India has thus far nurtured at a significant cost.