Indian Railways brought Kavach, an Automatic Train Protection, to the country in a mission towards revolutionizing railway safety. It will be the state-of-the-art system adding the layer of protection, safe, and efficient train operation to the country. SIL4-certified Kavach is all set to give a new turn to the railway scenario.
What is Kavach?
Kavach is another safety mechanism, designed to protect trains through continuous monitoring of a train’s speed, so it doesn’t cross any limits set by the experts. In addition, monitor the signals given to the trains and responds instantaneously if this mechanism determines that a particular train has crossed its defined limit or not responded according to critical signals. During delays or human failure action, Kavach implements automatic emergency brakes to cause an accident.
How Does Kavach Work?
Kavach is an automated safety guardian that constantly checks the speed of trains. It ensures speed compliance and, in case of non-compliance, takes a move. In case the driver does not have time to respond in time due to distractions or even drowsiness, it immediately applies the brakes, which helps avoid collisions. This makes it reliable in terms of preventing human error when risks are high, thereby making journeys safer.
Kavach is designed and engineered to work faultlessly across India’s diverse and challenging climate conditions. Be it the monsoon season, the thick fog, or even extreme temperatures, the system is designed to work under any conditions. The technology is meant to be robust and malleable to the changed needs of the Indian Railway network.
Infrastructure and Cost of Kavach Implementation
The installation of Kavach necessitates the setting up of varied infrastructure elements at all stations, locomotives, trackside equipment, and communication systems. These combined elements will be able to monitor and protect train operations in real-time.
Trackside Equipment: Around ₹50 lakhs per kilometer
Locomotive Equipment: Around ₹80 lakhs per locomotive.
Till date, ₹1,547 crore has been sanctioned under Kavach projects. For the fiscal year 2024-25, ₹1,112.57 crore has been provided as follows:
Phases of Kavach Development
Kavach was first tested in the field by the Ministry of Railways in 2016. Field trials were crucial as they obtained feedback and fine-tuned the system. Three firms had already been sanctioned by 2019 to supply the third version of the system, Kavach version 3.2.
July 2020: Kavach adopted by the Nationally as Automated Train Protection system after all exhaustive trials runs and test conducted. This marked a launch of the system country wide.
Kavach Version 4.0 – Launch-2024
Important feature added in Kavach Version 4.0:
Location Accuracy improvement with the train positioning gets precision.
Better Signal Aspect Information with better clarity especially while working in large Railway yard.
Station-to-Station Interface through Optical Fibre Cable: Ensures smooth communication between stations and trains.
Integration with Electronic Interlocking Systems: Improves operational efficiency and minimizes delay.
These developments are expected to strengthen train safety further and enhance the control over the railway network during operations.
Kavach Implementation Schedule and Progress
The implementation of Kavach has been very impressive, and considerable success has been achieved:
South Central Railway (SCR) and North Central Railway (NCR): Kavach has been installed over 1,548 Route Kilometres (RKm).
Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah Corridors: Work is under way on about 3,000 RKm of track, with 1,081 RKm of track-side installations already done (705 RKm on Delhi-Mumbai and 376 RKm on Delhi-Howrah).
The following activities are also underway:
Station Kavach Installations: To safeguard the trains while in stations and block sections.
RFID Tag Placement: The tag is used to note the position of the train and identify possible safety concerns.
Telecom Towers: Ensures uninterrupted communication from the train to the control rooms.
Optical Fibre Cable Laying: Ensures efficient data transmission across the network.
Loco Kavach Installation: All locos are equipped with Kavach technology for better monitoring and control of speed.
Conclusion
In a significant step toward making Indian Railways safer and more efficient, Kavach presents the development of real-time train protection, accident prevention, and correction of human error to enhance both safety and reliability of the network. With continuous improvements and across the country, Kavach is likely to form an excellent pillar of transformation in India’s railway system.
As Kavach continues to evolve, it promises to be a model for advanced train safety systems worldwide, providing lessons in innovation and efficiency for the global railway industry.
Refer:
Economic Times, Link to article
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