Indian Railways approves Rs 140 crore Kavach safety project for Ahmedabad division
New Delhi, June 15
The Indian Railways has approved the installation of Kavach Version 4.0 on 598 route kilometres covering 48 block sections of the Ahmedabad Division of the Western Railway in Gujarat as part of the measures to increase safety.
The project has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 140 crore.
Earlier, Kavach work had already been sanctioned on 702 route kilometres of the Ahmedabad Division. With the approval of the present project, the remaining sections of the division will also be brought under Kavach, paving the way for wider deployment of the indigenous train protection system across the division.
The work has been approved under the umbrella programme for the provision of Kavach with long-term evolution (LTE)-based communication backbone on balance routes of Indian Railways.
Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system designed to enhance operational safety. It helps prevent Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD), automatically applies brakes when required to avert unsafe situations, controls train speed in critical conditions, and significantly reduces the risk of collisions.
Indian Railways is progressively expanding Kavach across its network as part of its continued efforts to strengthen safety and modernise train operations.
Recently, sanctioned projects include the provision of on-board Kavach equipment for 232 locomotives in Southern Railway at a cost of Rs 208.81 crore. The proposal forms part of the umbrella work for the provision of Kavach with a communication backbone of LTE on balance routes of Indian Railways, with an overall cost of ₹27,693 crore.
A sub-umbrella allocation of Rs 2,950 crore has been earmarked for Southern Railway under this programme. The present work has been proposed within this sub-umbrella and covers the installation of Kavach Version 4.0 equipment on locomotives.
Similarly, Indian Railways has sanctioned the provision of optic fibre cables for Kavach over North Central Railway at a cost of Rs 176.7699 crore to support the deployment of Kavach and improve communication infrastructure across high-density routes.
Indian Railways has also sanctioned two itemised works in South Central Railway at a total cost of Rs 578.02 crore for the replacement of panel interlocking with electronic interlocking systems. A sub-umbrella allocation of Rs 1,857 crore has been earmarked for South Central Railway. Under this, two works have been approved to enhance signalling reliability, reduce manual intervention, and improve safety across high-density routes.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good to see the government investing in indigenous tech like Kavach. But I hope the implementation is thorough because accidents have been a major concern for years. Also, the LTE backbone will help modernize communication. Let's see if this translates to real safety improvements on the ground.
As someone from Gujarat, I'm happy Ahmedabad division is getting priority. But the Rs 27,693 crore overall cost is huge. We need to ensure no corruption eats up the funds. Also, why is Southern Railway getting Rs 208 crore for just 232 locos? Seems disproportionate. 🤔
Kavach is a proud Indian innovation! 🎉 This will definitely reduce Signal Passing at Danger incidents. But I hope the electronic interlocking in South Central Railway is also upgraded properly. Safety isn't just about one system—it's about holistic modernization. Let's hope trains run smoother and safer.
This is a welcome step, but why does it take so many approvals for each division? Shouldn't Kavach be rolled out across the entire network simultaneously? The cost per km is also quite high—around Rs 23 lakh per km. Still, better than the cost of a major accident. Let's hope the pace picks up.
I'm a daily train commuter and safety is paramount. Kavach 4.0 sounds promising. But I also want better station infrastructure and punctuality. The money should not just go to tech but also to maintenance. Still, any step towards reducing collisions is good. Let's applaud the railways for this effort! 👏
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