Indian Railways commissioned Kavach 4.0, the indigenous railway safety system, on the Mathura–Kota section of the high-density Delhi–Mumbai route. Approved by Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO) in July 2024. Marks a big leap in modernization of railway safety systems in India.
Background
- For 60+ years post-independence, India lacked advanced train protection systems of international standards.
- Kavach (meaning “armor/shield”) was first developed in 2015, tested for 3+ years, and got its first operational certificate in 2018 on South Central Railway (SCR).
- Based on field learnings, Kavach 4.0 was developed and approved in May 2025 for trains up to 160 kmph.
- Over 30,000 railway personnel trained in Kavach operations.
- IRISET (Indian Railway Institute of Signal Engineering & Telecommunications) signed MoUs with 17 AICTE-approved engineering colleges/universities to include Kavach in B.Tech curriculum.
What is Kavach?
- Indigenous automatic train protection system (ATP).
- Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL 4) – highest safety standard.
- Prevents accidents by monitoring train speed, signaling, and automatic brake application.
- Crucial for low visibility (e.g., fog) – info displayed inside the loco cab.
Subsystems of Kavach
Commissioning is setting up a telecom-like network across the railway track.
- RFID Tags – Installed every 1 km and at signals → provide train’s exact location.
- Telecom Towers – With OFC and power supply → enable constant communication between loco & station Kavach.
- Loco Kavach – Onboard system interacting with RFID & braking system.
- Station Kavach – Installed at every station & block section → guides train movement & safe speeds.
- Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) – Laid along tracks for high-speed data communication.
- Integrated Signaling System – Works in sync with loco, station, and telecom systems.
Progress of Kavach Implementation (as of 2025)
- Optical fibre laid: 5,856 km
- Telecom towers installed: 619
- Stations with Kavach: 708
- Locomotives with Kavach: 1,107
- Trackside equipment installed: 4,001 Rkm
Significance
- Major safety upgrade → accident prevention, safe speeds, reliable signaling.
- Helps loco pilots by auto brake application.
- Supports “Make in India” with indigenous manufacturing of Kavach components.
- Investment: ₹1 lakh crore annually on railway safety (Kavach = key initiative).
Key Facts
- Delhi–Mumbai route: One of India’s busiest Golden Quadrilateral rail corridors.
- RDSO: Headquartered in Lucknow, UP; designs standards for railway tech & safety.
- South Central Railway (SCR): Headquartered in Secunderabad, Telangana – first railway zone to implement Kavach.
- IRISET: Based in Secunderabad, trains railway engineers in signals & telecom.
- Safety Integrity Levels (SIL): International standard for safety-critical systems (SIL 4 = highest).
- Automatic Train Protection (ATP): Comparable international systems – ETCS (Europe), PTC (USA), KVB (France).
- Kavach 4.0 makes India one of the few countries with an indigenous ATP system.