Following the clearance of Version 4.0 by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in July last year, India's indigenously produced Kavach Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system is on its way to large-scale deployment.
This is a significant advancement in railway safety, increasing accuracy and efficiency for train operations across the country.
What is Kavach?
Kavach, a highly technology-intensive system that requires highest order safety certification (SIL-4), assists the Loco Pilot in running the train within specified speed limits by automatically applying brakes in case the Loco Pilot fails to do so and also helps the trains to run safely during inclement weather.
Kavach Latest Version
Since its initial trials in 2016, the system has undergone significant evolution.
Based on their experience and the system's Independent Safety Assessment by an Independent Safety Assessor (ISA), three firms were approved in 2018-19 to deliver Kavach Version 3.2.
Kavach version 3.2 was deployed on 1,465 Route Km (RKm) of the South Central Railway, giving the Railways valuable experience.
Kavach was approved as the national ATP system in July 2020. The Indian Railways' Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) certified the latest Version 4.0 in July 2024.
Kavach 4.0 Key Features
The current version 4.0 of the Kavach ATP introduces:
- Improved location accuracy for better train positioning.
- Improved signal aspect information in huge railroad yards.
- A direct interaction with electronic interlocking systems allows for simple integration.
- Station-to-station communication with Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) to improve coordination
Key Components of Kavach 4.0 Installation
The installation of the Kavach System includes the following essential activities:
- Station Kavach is installed at every station and block section.
- RFID tags were installed along the whole length of the rail.
- Installing telecom towers throughout the section.
- Laying optical fibre cable along the train.
- Loco Kavach is provided on every locomotive that runs on Indian Railways.
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Expansion of Kavach Across Indian Railways
Since its acceptance, Indian Railways has aggressively expanded Kavach throughout its network. The most recent implementation data include:
- 5,743 kilometers of optical fiber cable deployed, with 540 telecom towers installed.
- 795 locomotives are fitted with Kavach.
- 664 stations equipped with Kavach technology.
- Trackside equipment covers 3,727 kilometers of route.
A plan has been finalized to equip 10,000 additional locomotives, with 69 loco sheds ready for installation, in order to expedite deployment even further.
Ashwini Vaishnaw on Kavach
In addition, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated in a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, March 19, that bids for 15,000 km of trackside works of Kavach covering all Golden Quadrilateral, Goldern Diagonal, High Density, and identified sections of Indian Railways have been invited. Of these, works of 1865 RKm have been awarded.
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