Indian Railways (IR) is accelerating the nationwide deployment of Kavach, an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system designed to enhance operational safety and prevent accidents. The technology automatically applies brakes if a Loco Pilot fails to act within speed limits, ensuring safer operations, especially during adverse weather conditions.

On Monday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that Kavach implementation is now at an advanced stage on two major railway corridors — Delhi–Howrah (Kolkata) and Delhi–Mumbai. He added that the system has already been installed on around 1,200 locomotives, with its benefits set to become evident soon.

Adopted as the National ATP System in July 2020, Kavach represents a major leap forward in India’s drive towards safer and smarter rail operations. For FY2025–26, the Ministry of Railways allocated Rs 16.73 billion for the project, while Rs 20.15 billion had already been utilised for Kavach-related works by June 2025.

The installation cost for the trackside and station equipment is approximately Rs 5 million per kilometre, while the cost of fitting Kavach equipment on locomotives stands at about Rs 8 million per unit.

Key components of the implementation include:

Station-level Kavach installations at every block section.

RFID tags placed along track lengths to aid location accuracy.

Telecom towers across railway sections to ensure connectivity.

Optical fibre cable (OFC) laid alongside tracks for data transmission.

Loco Kavach devices fitted on every locomotive operating across the IR network.

The latest Kavach Version 4.0 introduces several significant upgrades, including improved location accuracy, enhanced signal aspect visibility in large railway yards, station-to-station Kavach interface through OFC, and a direct interface with electronic interlocking systems.

Describing the progress as a “milestone in Indian Railways’ safety journey,” officials noted that Kavach’s expanding footprint will drastically reduce the risk of collisions and signal-passed-at-danger (SPAD) incidents, aligning with India’s goal of zero-accident train operations.

Once fully deployed, Kavach will make India one of the few countries with a homegrown, large-scale railway protection system, offering world-class safety standards across its extensive network.