Sources revealed that the railway ministry has informed the Cabinet Secretary about plans to extend Kavach coverage to 44,000 kilometers of track over the next five years
In response to the recent tragic rail accident in West Bengal, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has called for a swift implementation of the Kavach system. He urged officials to take a mission-mode approach during a review meeting focused on Kavach 4.0, the latest version of the automatic train protection system. Vaishnaw emphasized the need to install this technology on all locomotives as soon as it becomes available.
Sources revealed that the railway ministry has informed the Cabinet Secretary about plans to extend Kavach coverage to 44,000 kilometers of track over the next five years. Kavach is designed to prevent train collisions on the same track and is currently produced by three manufacturers, with more in development.
The railway has set ambitious targets, aiming to implement Kavach on the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah routes by March 2024. Additionally, tenders for another 6,000 kilometers of track are expected to be released by the end of this year.
Many major railway systems worldwide adopted similar automatic train protection systems in the 1980s. India began its journey with the approval of the first version of the Train Collision Avoidance System (TACS) in 2016. Following rigorous trials, the system achieved SIL-4 certification in 2019, the highest level of safety certification, and was approved as the national ATP system in 2020.
By accelerating the rollout of Kavach, the railway ministry aims to enhance safety and prevent future accidents on India’s vast rail network.
