Railways approves Rs 206 crore for Kavach deployment on 680 route kilometres of Northern Railway
New Delhi, July 10
In another significant step towards expanding India's indigenous Automatic Train Protection system, Indian Railways has approved the provision of Kavach Version 4.0 on 680 Route Kilometres of the Rewari-Delhi and Shakurbasti-Bathinda sections, including feeder branch lines, of Delhi Division, Northern Railway. The project has been approved at a cost of Rs 206 crore.
Ministry of Railways said that the project forms part of Indian Railways' ongoing nationwide rollout of Kavach, aimed at expanding the indigenous safety system across high-density and strategically important routes.
Kavach is India's indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system designed to significantly enhance railway safety by preventing Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) incidents and train collisions. The system continuously monitors train movements, automatically applies brakes whenever necessary, permits trains to operate safely at maximum permissible speeds, and supports reliable train operations even during adverse weather conditions such as dense fog, as per the ministry.
Deployment of Kavach Version 4.0 on these important routes of Indian Railways will strengthen safety, improve operational efficiency, enhance reliability of train operations and support faster, technology-driven movement of both passenger and freight services.
In a significant step towards strengthening locomotive maintenance infrastructure, Indian Railways has approved a project worth Rs 175 crore for creation of additional homing facilities for 250 three phase electric locomotives at the High Horse Power (HHP) Diesel Shed, Raipur, under South East Central Railway (SECR).
Homing refers to the assignment of a locomotive to a designated locomotive shed, which serves as its primary maintenance base. The homing shed is responsible for the locomotive's scheduled maintenance, safety inspections, repairs, and overall upkeep to ensure its safe and efficient operation.
The project has been sanctioned as part of Indian Railways' ongoing efforts to augment maintenance infrastructure in line with the rapid expansion of the electric locomotive fleet and increasing freight and passenger operations across the network.
The additional homing facilities will enable Indian Railways to better utilise existing infrastructure while creating the required space for future technological expansion at the Raipur depot.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Impressive progress on the indigenous ATP system! I've read about Kavach's capabilities in fog and emergency braking - it could really reduce accidents on Indian Railways. That said, I hope they allocate more funds for maintenance crews and training too, because technology alone isn't enough without proper human oversight.
Finally! 🚆 Living in Delhi, I've experienced fog delays every winter. Kavach in fog is a game-changer. But ₹206 crore is a lot - hope they ensure transparency in tenders and no corruption. Also, why only 680 km? Should do Rewari-Delhi entire stretch plus some more sections.
As someone who follows railway tech, this is smart. Kavach is based on the tried-and-tested TPWS concept used in UK/Europe, but adapted for Indian conditions - dense traffic, mixed trains, fog. The Rs 175 crore for Raipur shed homing facilities is also wise given the ramp-up in 3-phase electric locos (like WAG-9, WAP-7).
Good move for safety 🙏 Every year we hear about train accidents - Kavach can prevent many. But I wish they'd also spend more on track maintenance and level crossing safety. Technology is great, but basics like replacing old tracks and better signaling also matter. Hope the Raipur shed upgrade helps with maintenance quality.
Respectful criticism: Rs 206 crore for 680 km works out to about Rs 30 lakh per km, which is much lower than European ATP systems (typically €50-100k per km ~₹
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.