Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is set to embark on a significant trial journey today (Tuesday), where he will travel aboard a train equipped with the Kavach automatic train protection system. Vaishnaw will board the train at Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan at 4 PM for a 45-minute journey to Indargarh Railway Station. During this trial, the train will operate within a designated Kavach-enabled section, testing its capabilities at various speeds. Key focus will be to evaluate whether the system can autonomously bring the train to a halt at red signals without any intervention from the locomotive pilot. A contingent of media representatives will accompany the Minister to witness this critical evaluation.
The Kavach system, also referred to as the Automatic Train Protection System (ATP), was developed by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO). Its primary function is to enhance safety by automatically applying the brakes in emergency situations when a train operator may be unable to respond in time. The initiative to implement this system has been a long-term project for the Railway Ministry, spanning eight years, with a phased rollout aimed at integrating it across the railway network.
Efforts on to fully operationalize Kavach along Mumbai-Delhi and Delhi-Kolkata rail corridors
In a recent press briefing, Vaishnaw highlighted that efforts are currently underway to fully operationalize the Kavach system along the extensive 3,000-kilometer Mumbai-Delhi and Delhi-Kolkata rail corridors, with an anticipated completion date set for March next year. He also mentioned that the advanced version 4.0 of the Kavach system received approval from the RDSO on July 17, 2024, and that large-scale installations are expected to commence shortly.
Vaishnaw emphasized that the Kavach 4.0 system is designed to effectively manage various communication challenges across diverse geographical landscapes, including hilly areas, forests, coastal regions, and deserts.
The Railway Ministry has a rich history with the Kavach project, having initiated its first field trials on passenger trains in February 2016. Based on the insights gathered and an independent safety assessment conducted by an external party, three firms were authorized in 2018-19 to supply the Kavach system.
To date, Kavach has been successfully deployed on 1,465 route kilometers and integrated into 139 locomotives, including Electric Multiple Unit rakes, primarily within the South Central Railway zone.