Kavach Protection System: Deployed Across Multiple States, Tender Awards Announced

Indian Railways has taken significant strides in bolstering safety measures with the successful deployment of the indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system called Kavach. The Kavach system is a highly advanced technology that aids locomotive pilots in adhering to specified speed limits by automatically applying brakes when necessary. It also ensures safe train operation during adverse weather conditions.

Kavach Adoption and Expansion

The journey of Kavach began with its first field trials on passenger trains in February 2016. Based on valuable experiences gained during the trials and the Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) conducted by a third-party, three firms were approved in 2018-19 for the supply of Kavach. Subsequently, in July 2020, Kavach was adopted as the National ATP system.

As of now, Kavach has been successfully deployed across 1465 Route km (Rkm) and 121 locomotives, including Electric Multiple Unit rakes, on the South Central Railway, serving Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.

Expanding the Reach

To further enhance safety measures, Indian Railways has recently awarded Kavach tenders for the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah corridors, covering approximately 3000 Route km. Work is currently in progress on these routes in states such as West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.

Additionally, Indian Railways is actively preparing Detailed Project Reports (DPR) and detailed estimates for an additional 6000 RKm, reflecting the railways’ commitment to enhancing safety across its vast network.

Boosting Capacity and Implementation

To scale up the implementation of Kavach, efforts are underway to develop more vendors and approved Indian Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). These initiatives aim to enhance capacity and streamline the implementation process.

Investment and Allocations

The deployment of Kavach involves a significant investment. The cost for the provision of Trackside equipment, including Station equipment, stands at approximately ₹50 Lakhs/Km, while the cost for the provision of Kavach equipment on locomotives is approximately ₹70 lakh/loco. So far, the amount spent on Kavach implementation totals ₹351.91 Crores.

In line with its commitment to safety, Indian Railways has allocated a budget of ₹710.12 Crores for Kavach during the year 2023-24.

State-wise Expenditure and Deployment

As projects of Indian Railways often span across state boundaries, the expenditure for Kavach implementation is maintained on a zone-wise basis, and not state-wise.

Minister’s Statement

Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Minister of Railways, Communications, and Electronic & Information Technology, provided this information in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today. The successful implementation and expansion of Kavach underscore Indian Railways’ commitment to ensuring safe and efficient train operations for passengers across the country.