The elephant was crossing the track when the Chennai-bound West Coast Express dashed against it around 5.30 AM, police said. Under the impact, the elephant was thrown some 20-feet down the track, they said.
According to forest department officials, the jumbo was trying to cross the track near Solayar as two other elephants had already crossed it.
However, the train knocked down the pachyderm which sustained an injury in the back. Though officials tried to revive it by medication, it died after three hours, police said.