Indian Railways has commissioned KAVACH Version 4.0 for the first time on South Central Railway (SCR), covering 108 route km on the Malkajgiri-Kamareddi section of the Hyderabad Division. The commissioning marks an upgrade from KAVACH Version 3.2 and represents a new stage in the deployment of the indigenous train protection system.

The latest version incorporates improvements based on operational experience gained through the use of KAVACH Version 3.2 across 1,465 route km on SCR. Indian Railways said the upgraded system provides enhanced safety, greater reliability and advanced technological capabilities, with large-scale deployment planned across its network.

KAVACH, developed indigenously by Indian Railways, is an Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system that assists loco pilots in maintaining prescribed speed limits. It can automatically apply brakes in critical situations and is designed to prevent Signal Passing At Danger, control train speeds during emergencies and reduce the risk of collisions.

The system also supports safer train operations during adverse weather conditions. Key improvements in Version 4.0 include greater location accuracy for precise train positioning, more detailed information on signal aspects in larger yards, station-to-station communication through Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) and direct integration with existing Electronic Interlocking Systems.

KAVACH Version 4.0 requires certification under Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL-4), the highest level for safety-critical railway systems. Its implementation involves Station KAVACH at stations and block sections, RFID tags along tracks, telecommunication towers, optical fibre cables and Loco KAVACH equipment on locomotives. The commissioning is expected to strengthen indigenous railway safety technology and support the expansion of advanced train protection across Indian Railways.