The Ministry of Railways has approved the installation of Kavach, India’s indigenous Automatic Train Protection system, across 443 route kilometres in West Bengal at an estimated cost of Rs 2.24 billion. The project will cover sections that are currently not equipped with the safety system.

The approval moves Eastern Railway closer to comprehensive deployment of Kavach on its network and reinforces the government’s push to enhance operational safety through Make in India technologies. Kavach is designed to prevent train collisions by automatically applying brakes in situations such as signal overshooting or excessive speed.

The sanctioned work will extend safety coverage over the remaining uncovered stretches, ensuring more uniform protection across some of the busiest rail corridors in the region. Eastern Railway said the rollout is a key step towards strengthening passenger safety and operational reliability.

The project will cover 15 critical sections, including Howrah–Santragachi, Liluah–Belur Math, Tarakeswar–Goghat, Maynapur–Bishnupur, Rampurhat–Dumka, Azimganj–Murshidabad, Lakshmikantapur–Namkhana, Kankurgachhi–Ballygunge, Kalyani–Kalyani Simanta, Krishnanagar Junction–Amghata, Krishnanagar City–Lalgola, Murshidabad–Azimganj, Asansol–Burnpur, Barachak–Hirapur and Bakhtar Nagar–Andal.

The work forms part of a nationwide programme titled “Provision of Kavach with communication backbone of Long-Term Evolution on balance routes of Indian Railways (Umbrella Work 2024–25)”. The initiative has been included in the Works, Machinery and Rolling Stock Programme, commonly known as the Pink Book, for 2024–25.

Under the umbrella programme, overall approval of Rs 276.93 billion has been granted to standardise train protection systems across the country. Within this allocation, Eastern Railway has received Rs 8.96 billion to support phased implementation of Kavach on its network.

Railway officials said the structured approach will enable systematic deployment of the safety system, while ensuring that funding and execution remain aligned with long-term national rail safety objectives.