The Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, Kavach, has been announced by the Railway Minister. This system shall be operational on the 3,000-km Mumbai-Delhi and Delhi-Kolkata rail routes by March 2025.
Kavach 4.0 Approved for Installation: 10,000 Locomotives and Key Routes to Get Safety Upgrade
With the large-scale installation set to begin soon, this follows the approval of the advanced Kavach version 4.0 by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) on July 17.
Designed to address communication challenges across diverse geographical conditions such as hilly, forested, coastal, and desert areas, under the Kavach 4.0, 10,000 locomotives and key routes to get safety upgrade.
Railway Ministry Sanctions Kavach for 10,000 Locomotives; Expansion to Major Routes and Signalling Sections Planned
The installation of Kavach on 10,000 locomotives has been sanctioned by the Railway Ministry over the period of next 2 years. Notably, another 10,000 are to follow in phase wise manner.
In addition to this, tenders shall be invited for the installation of Kavach on the 3,300-km Mumbai-Chennai and Chennai-Kolkata routes and approximately 5,000 km of all-automatic signalling sections, with installation expected to start in October 2024.
It was also highlighted that the installation capacity has increased from 1,000 km annually to 4,000 km, with a target of reaching 5,500 km per year.
This particular enhancement in the capacity shall enable Kavach to be operational on new routes within three years. The system aims to prevent red-signal violations 100% of the time, enhancing railway safety by mitigating human error and ensuring reliable train operations.
