Indian Railways Commissions Kavach 4.0 on 738 Route Kilometres Across Key Corridors

Indian Railways has commissioned Kavach 4.0, the latest version of its indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, across 738 route kilometres.

• Deployment includes:
  • 633 km on the Palwal–Mathura–Nagda section (Delhi–Mumbai route)
  • 105 km on the Howrah–Bardhaman section (Delhi–Howrah route)

Minister’s Update in Rajya Sabha

• Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared the update on 5 December, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

About Kavach: India’s National ATP System

• Kavach is a Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) certified technology.
• Assists loco pilots by:
  • Automatically applying brakes if speed limits are exceeded
  • Enhancing safety during low-visibility and adverse weather
• Field trials began in 2016, followed by independent safety assessments.
• Version 3.2 was approved for supply in 2018–19, and Kavach became India’s national ATP system in 2020.

Implementation Components

• Installation involves:
  • Station and trackside equipment
  • RFID tags
  • Telecom towers
  • Optical Fibre Cable (OFC)
  • Onboard locomotive units

Transition from 3.2 to 4.0

• Experience from deploying Kavach 3.2 over 1,465 km in the South Central Railway zone led to system improvements.
• Kavach 4.0 received approval in July 2024.

Key Enhancements in Kavach 4.0

• Higher location accuracy
• Better relay of signal aspects in large railway yards
• OFC-based interface between stations
• Direct integration with electronic interlocking systems
• Enables wider and faster deployment across the national network

Future Plans

• The two newly commissioned corridors underwent extensive trials before deployment.
• Work is ongoing to equip the remaining sections of the Delhi–Mumbai and Delhi–Howrah routes with Kavach 4.0.

Source: DD News