Indian Railways has achieved a significant breakthrough in its drive toward ‘zero accidents’, dispatching its first locomotive equipped with the indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, Kavach, from the Electric Loco Shed in Ajni, Nagpur division. The milestone marks a crucial step in modernising safety technologies across India’s extensive railway network.
A Made-in-India Anti-Collision System
Kavach—developed entirely in India under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative—is a SIL-4 certified Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), the highest level of safety certification in railway signalling globally. It is designed to prevent:
- Overspeeding
- Signal passing at danger (SPAD)
- Train-to-train collisions
- Human-error-related mishaps
Supplied by a Hyderabad-based private firm, the wide-gauge AC three-phase freight locomotive is now fully equipped with Kavach’s hardware suite, including a central computer, radio antenna, RFID reader, brake interface unit, and an operational-cum-indication panel.
How Kavach Enhances Train Safety
Kavach continuously monitors movement authority, braking distance, signal aspects, and level crossings. If the driver fails to respond, the system auto-applies brakes, ensuring multiple layers of protection.
Key features include:
- Real-time communication between locomotive TCAS, station TCAS, and trackside RFID tags
- GPS-based time synchronisation for pinpoint accuracy
- Automatic whistling at level crossings
- SOS emergency stopping to prevent multi-train accidents
- Reliable operation even in fog or low visibility
Data exchange between station and locomotive units takes place every two seconds, enabling proactive collision prevention.
Successful Testing at Ajni Shed
Before deployment, the system underwent rigorous testing on a dedicated track at Ajni. Critical functionalities such as automatic braking, in-cab signal display, speed enforcement, and emergency alerts were fully validated.
These tests ensure that the system performs flawlessly under real-world conditions, preparing it for large-scale rollout.
Mass Deployment Plan: 10,000 Locomotives to Receive Kavach
In the first phase, Indian Railways intends to install Kavach on around 10,000 locomotives. At the Ajni shed alone, all 312 three-phase locomotives will soon be equipped with the system.
With Kavach’s deployment accelerating, the vision of a safer, smarter, and accident-free Indian Railways is becoming increasingly achievable.
