Indian Railways is taking major steps to improve train safety and prevent collisions by expanding the use of Kavach technology. Recently, it approved the installation of onboard Kavach equipment in 232 locomotives under Southern Railway at a cost of ₹208.81 crore. Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system designed by Indian Railways to ensure high levels of safety in train operations.
Along with Kavach installation, Indian Railways has approved multiple projects worth ₹1,364.45 crore to strengthen its safety, signalling, and communication systems across different zones. Lets find out more about Kavach and all the other projects approved by Indian Railways.
What is Kavach and how does it improve trains and passenger safety?
Kavach is a safety system built by Indian Railways. Kavach helps loco pilots by automatically controlling train speed and applying brakes when needed. This prevents accidents in critical situations such as overspeeding, signal passing at danger (SPAD) and poor visibility due to fog or bad weather. In these situations, Kavach automatically stops or slows down trains to prevent accidents and keep the passengers safe.
Beyond Kavach: Indian Railways approves ₹1,364 Cr projects for safety upgrades
In addition to the rollout of the Kavach system, Indian Railways has approved a series of projects totaling ₹1,364.45 crore. These initiatives are designed to enhance safety, signalling, and communication infrastructure across various railway zones. Let’s have a look at all these projects.
Northern Railway to strengthen communication network
In Northern Railway, projects worth ₹400.86 crore have been approved to enhance communication infrastructure.These upgrades will improve communication reliability which is essential for modern signalling and Kavach operations.
These include laying 2×48 Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) networks across:
- 926.05 route km in Ambala Division (₹115.74 crore)
- 1,204 route km in Delhi Division, along with OFC rooms at stations (₹165.49 crore)
- 1,074 route km in Lucknow Division (₹119.63 crore)
OFC network expansion in North Central Railway
Indian Railways has also approved ₹176.77 crore for laying 2×48 fibre OFC cables across 2,196 route km in North Central Railway. The project will cover 1,016 km in Prayagraj Division, 709 km in Jhansi Division and 471 km in Agra Division. This will support Kavach deployment and improve communication across busy routes.
Electronic interlocking upgrades in South Central Railway
To further improve safety, ₹578.02 crore has been approved for replacing old panel interlocking systems with modern electronic interlocking in South Central Railway. The work includes replacement of panel interlocking with electronic interlocking at 35 stations in Guntakal Division at a cost of ₹426.82 crore and at 14 stations in Nanded Division at a cost of ₹151.20 crore. These upgrades will enhance safety on high-density routes.