Mumbai: Western Railway’s suburban section gets automatic train protection system ‘Kavach’

Western Railway gets automatic train protection system `Kavach`

The Mumbai suburban system of Western Railway on Friday became one of the first sections of Indian Railways to get a 'Kavach' safety cover with the commissioning of the Virar to Vadodara section. The section from Virar to Dahanu falls under the Mumbai suburban section. The project is part of the larger Nagda-Vadodara-Surat-Virar-Mumbai Central corridor, which has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 397 crore.

Officials from the Western Railways asserted, "The installation of the Kavach System on Western Railway is being carried out at a very fast pace, and on January 30, 'Kavach' will be commissioned on the Virar-Vadodara section. Train No. 20907, Dadar-Bhuj Sayaji Nagri Express, will be the first train to run with the 'Kavach' system from Mumbai, departing from Dadar"

'Kavach' is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system in India designed to prevent train accidents by automatically applying brakes if the loco pilot fails to do so. Adopted as a national system, it enhances safety through collision avoidance (TCAS), speed control, and emergency SOS messaging.

What is 'Kavach'?

'Kavach' is an automated train protection system developed indigenously by Indian Railways that works an added layer for train safety. The system has been designed very thoughtfully to minimise risks arising from human error and enhances operational safety through multiple automated features.

Key features of 'Kavach'

• Prevention of signal passing at danger due to human error
• Prevention of over-speeding
• Collision prevention (head on and rear-end)
• Auto whistling at LC gates
• Repeating signal aspect in CAB to reduce effect of poor visibility/ adverse weather/ fog situations

Furthermore, the execution of 'Kavach' on this corridor involved highly sophisticated engineering and digital integration including

• Custom safety schemes for each station and signalling section
• Installation and programming of more than 8,000 RFID tags on tracks
• Setup of continuous radio communication through 57 radio towers
• Laying of optical fibre cables (OFC) along the entire route
• Installation of Kavach equipment at stations and level crossing gates
• Development of dedicated operational software
• Integration with existing signalling systems
• Installation of 'Kavach' systems in locomotives
• Extensive trials and safety testing

Highlighting about the project, the official statement from Western Railways said, "Work is going on in full swing on Vadodara-Nagda and is expected to be commissioned by March, 2026."

Western Railway also added, "Simultaneously, Kavach installation on locomotives is also progressing well and a total of 364 locomotives have been equipped with Kavach on Western Railway (WR) so far."

The authorties also asserted that the installation of 'Kavach' on 2476 Route km has also been proposed for sanction.