Kavach gets an upgrade, reduces risk of train accidents

T P venu | SECUNDERABAD : 

Kavach, Indian Railways’ indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system has been upgraded with a 4.0 version. The latest Version 4.0 is equipped with enhanced safety, advanced technology, higher reliability and safer operations. Kavach was first adopted in 2020. To test its efficiency, Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, General Manager, SCR along with a team travelled in a special train between Malkajgiri and Kamareddi section and inspected various scenarios of Kavach Ver. 4.0 on Tuesday.

The salient features of Kavach 4.0 includes increased location accuracy, improved information of signal aspects in bigger yards, Station-to-Station Kavach interface on Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) and Direct Interface to existing Electronic Interlocking System. With these improvements, Kavach Ver.4.0. is planned for large scale deployment over Indian Railways.

Sanjay Kumar Srivastava, General Manager opined that KAVACH acts as an additional layer of safety to minimize risks arising from human error by preventing signal passing at danger, over-speeding and collisions, while also enhancing operational safety during adverse weather conditions. The deployment of Kavach is also in progress in other sections thus reaffirming its long-term commitment to comprehensive rail safety enhancement.

What Kavach does

Prevents Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD): If a train passes a red signal or the loco pilot fails to respond appropriately, Kavach can automatically apply the brakes.

Controls overspeeding: It continuously monitors the train's speed against permitted limits and can initiate braking if necessary.

Helps prevent collisions: It uses information about signals, track occupancy, movement authority and the train's position to provide additional protection against certain head-on, rear-end and other collision situations.

Displays signals inside the locomotive: Signal aspects and movement information can be shown in the driver's cab, which is particularly useful in fog or poor visibility. Monitors movement authority: The system continuously updates the distance and authority within which a train is permitted to travel.

Provides speed protection near turnouts and restrictions: It can automatically control speed where lower limits apply.

Provides level-crossing warnings: Kavach can provide automatic whistling alerts at certain level crossings.

Kavach does not replace loco pilot

Kavach does not replace the loco pilot. It is an additional safety aid, and the pilot continues to follow the prescribed operating and signalling rules. As of July 31, 2026, Kavach Version 4.0 had been commissioned over 2,633 route km, including sections of the Delhi–Mumbai and Delhi–Howrah routes.

Kavach deployment in Telangana

Telangana is significant in the development of Kavach, because the South Central Railway (SCR) was one of the first zones where the system was deployed extensively and where field experience helped shape the newer Kavach 4.0 specification. The Railway Ministry says 1,465 route km of Kavach 3.2 had been deployed on SCR, and the experience gained there contributed to improvements incorporated into Kavach 4.0.