Indian Railways has approved two projects worth ₹381 crore to strengthen railway safety and expand locomotive maintenance infrastructure. The projects include the deployment of the indigenous Kavach Version 4.0 Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system on important Northern Railway routes and the expansion of electric locomotive maintenance facilities at Raipur.
These initiatives form part of Indian Railways’ broader modernization programme aimed at improving operational efficiency, enhancing safety, and supporting the growing passenger and freight network.
₹381 Crore Railway Modernisation Projects
Objective
- Enhance railway safety.
- Improve operational efficiency.
- Expand locomotive maintenance infrastructure.
- Support the growing passenger and freight traffic.
- Accelerate technology-driven railway modernization.
Project 1: Kavach Version 4.0 Deployment
Cost: ₹206 crore
Coverage: Deployment of Kavach Version 4.0 on 680 route kilometres under the Delhi Division of Northern Railway, covering:
- Rewari – Delhi section
- Shakurbasti – Bathinda section
- Associated feeder branch lines
Purpose
- Strengthen railway safety.
- Improve operational reliability.
- Enhance train movement efficiency.
- Support faster movement of passenger and freight trains.
- Part of Indian Railways’ nationwide rollout of Kavach on high-density and strategically important routes.
Project 2: Expansion of Raipur Locomotive Maintenance Facilities
Cost: ₹175 crore
Location:
- High Horse Power (HHP) Diesel Shed, Raipur under South East Central Railway (SECR)
Objective
- Create additional homing facilities for 250 three-phase electric locomotives
Purpose
- Expand maintenance infrastructure.
- Support the rapidly increasing electric locomotive fleet.
- Improve maintenance efficiency.
- Create capacity for future technological expansion.
- Optimize utilization of existing railway infrastructure.
About Kavach
Kavach (meaning “Armour”) is India’s indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system designed to achieve zero accidents by preventing train collisions and Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) incidents.
Key Features
Automatic Braking
- Continuously monitors train movement.
- Automatically applies brakes if:
- Speed exceeds permissible limits.
- The locomotive pilot passes a signal at danger (SPAD).
Enhanced Safety: Prevents-
- Train collisions.
- Overspeeding.
- Signal violations.
Improved Punctuality
- Enables trains to safely operate at maximum permissible speeds.
- Particularly useful during adverse weather conditions such as: Poor visibility or Dense fog
Technology Used: Kavach uses-
- RFID tags installed on railway tracks.
- Trackside electronic equipment.
- In-cab display systems for locomotive pilots.
Latest Version
- Kavach Version 4.0
- Certified to the highest international railway safety standard: SIL-4 (Safety Integrity Level-4)