Kavach 4.0 commissioned on 1,452 km of key rail routes;

Indian Railways has successfully commissioned Kavach 4.0, the latest version of its indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, across 1,452 route kilometres on the high-density Delhi–Mumbai Corridor and Delhi–Howrah Corridor.

The development was announced in the Lok Sabha by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on March 11, 2026.

About Kavach

Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection system designed to assist loco pilots in maintaining trains within permitted speed limits. The system can automatically apply brakes if the driver fails to respond in time, preventing collisions and overspeeding. It also improves train safety in low-visibility conditions such as fog.

• Initial field trials: February 2016
• Adopted as national ATP system: July 2020
• Kavach 4.0 approval: July 2024 by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO)

Deployment

Kavach 4.0 has been installed across several sections of the two major rail corridors, including:

• Palwal–Mathura–Nagda
• Vadodara–Ahmedabad
• Vadodara–Virar
• Gaya–Sarmatanr
• Chota Ambana–Bardhaman–Howrah

Implementation requires extensive infrastructure, including station-based equipment, RFID tags along tracks, telecom towers, optical fibre cables, and onboard Kavach devices on locomotives.

Impact on Rail Safety

According to the Railway Ministry, safety initiatives including Kavach have significantly reduced accidents:

• Consequential train accidents:
  • 135 in 2014–15 → 14 in 2025–26 (till Feb 2026)
  • Nearly 90% reduction
• Consequential accident index:
  • 0.11 in 2014–15 → 0.03 in 2024–25
  • About 73% improvement in safety performance

Source: PIB