Western Railways has successfully completed the installation of upgraded signalling and track system “Kavach” from Mumbai Central till Virar. It aims to upgrade railway safety on its line by preventing accidents through automatic train protection.
Western Railways is installing the Kavach system across 789 km of its routes and on 90 locomotives in the Western Railway region, including Virar – Surat – Vadodara and Ahmedabad – Ratlam section. As of now, the Kavach system has been successfully installed over 470 km of the planned 789 km route and on 60 locomotives including Virar- Surat section of Mumbai Central division, said Vineet Abhishek, the Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway.
What is the Kavach System?
Kawach is an Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system developed indigenously by Indian Railways through the Research Designs & Standards Organization (RDSO), to prevent train collisions and improve operational safety. It utilizes radio frequency identification (RFID) systems installed at stations, trains, and tracks.
The technology allows trains to operate at safe speeds, assists loco pilots in avoiding Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD), and provides continuous speed monitoring. Kavach also displays signal information in the loco pilot’s cabin, offering protection against possible collisions.
Project Progress
The project is expected to be completed by FY 2024-25, with a goal of covering 735 kilometres. The work of laying towers and optical fibre cable is in process for the Mumbai Central to Virar section (54 kilometres), said Vineet Abhishek. He said that survey has been completed 201 km out of 336 km on the Virar – Surat – Vadodara section. Western railway also opts for horizontal directional drilling instead of traditional manual trenching to speed up the work of laying optical fibre cable.
“The Kavach system will significantly enhance safety and operational efficiency,” he said, underscoring the significance of Kavach. Although it is currently in the trial phase, we expect it to be implemented shortly. Kavach will be essential in lowering SPAD occurrences and averting possible crashes, which will raise general safety.
