Indian Railways Commissions Kavach 4.0 on Delhi-Mumbai Route

• Indian Railways has commissioned its indigenous Kavach 4.0 safety system on the Mathura-Kota section of the Delhi-Mumbai route.
• Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted the rapid development and deployment, calling it a significant step for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ vision.
• Kavach is a SIL 4 certified ATP system that aids loco pilots, provides in-cab signal information, and prevents accidents by controlling train speeds.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 30th July: Indian Railways has officially commissioned Kavach 4.0, its indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, on the Mathura-Kota section of the high-density Delhi-Mumbai route. This marks a pivotal achievement in the nation’s efforts to modernize railway safety systems and enhance passenger security.

Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted the significance of this milestone, stating, “Railways has indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured the Kavach Automatic Train Protection System, taking inspiration from Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ vision.” He underscored that Kavach 4.0 is a technology-intensive system, approved by the Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO) in July 2024. Vaishnaw proudly noted the rapid progress, emphasizing, “Many developed nations took 20-30 years to develop and install train protection systems. The commissioning of Kavach 4.0 on the Kota-Mathura section has been achieved in a very short timeframe. This is a very big achievement.”

Despite over six decades since independence, advanced train protection systems of international standards had not been widely implemented in India. The operationalization of Kavach is set to address this critical gap, ensuring greater safety for both trains and passengers.

Indian Railways plans to commission Kavach 4.0 on various routes nationwide within an ambitious timeframe of six years. Already, over 30,000 personnel have undergone training for Kavach systems. In a move to integrate this advanced technology into future engineering talent, the Indian Railway Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications (IRISET) has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with 17 AICTE-approved engineering colleges, institutions, and universities to incorporate Kavach as part of their BTech course curriculum.

Kavach significantly assists loco pilots by maintaining train speed through effective brake application. Crucially, it provides critical signal information directly on an in-cab dashboard, eliminating the need for pilots to rely on external visibility, particularly in challenging conditions like fog.

What is Kavach?

• Kavach is an indigenously developed train safety system designed to prevent accidents by continuously monitoring and controlling train speeds.
• It is engineered to Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL 4), representing the highest standard of safety design.
• Development of Kavach commenced in 2015, with extensive testing conducted for over three years.
• Initial operational certification was granted in 2018 following its installation in the South Central Railway (SCR).
• An advanced version, ‘Kavach 4.0’, was developed based on SCR experiences and approved in May 2025 for speeds up to 160 kmph.
• All components of Kavach are manufactured domestically, aligning with the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ vision.

Complexity of Kavach: Kavach is an intricate system, comparable in complexity to establishing a full-fledged telecom company. Its operational framework involves several integrated sub-systems:

• RFID tags: Installed every 1 km along the track and at every signal, providing precise train location data.
• Telecom Towers: A network of towers with optical fiber connectivity and power supply enables constant communication between loco-Kavach and station-Kavach controllers.
• Loco Kavach: Interacts with RFID tags, relays information to telecom towers, receives data from Station Kavach, and is integrated with the locomotive’s braking system to apply brakes in emergencies.
• Station Kavach: Installed at stations and block sections, receiving information from Loco Kavach and signaling systems to guide safe train speeds.
• Optical Fibre Cable (OFC): Laid along tracks for high-speed data communication across all system components.
• Signaling system: Fully integrated with all Kavach sub-systems. These systems require installation, rigorous checks, and certification without disrupting ongoing railway operations, including heavy movement of passenger and goods trains.

Kavach Progress (Current Status):

Indian Railways allocates over INR 1 lakh crore annually to safety-related activities, with Kavach being a cornerstone of these initiatives. The rapid progress and ongoing deployment of Kavach underscore Indian Railways’ unwavering commitment to ensuring comprehensive railway safety.