HBL–Shivakriti Consortium Wins Railways Contract for Kavach Deployment

17 Apr 2025 CW Team

The HBL Power Systems–Shivakriti International consortium has been awarded the Letter of Acceptance (LoA) by the Indian Railways for the deployment of Kavach, India’s indigenously developed automatic train protection (ATP) system.

The consortium secured the contract under Package 4 of the Kavach tender, which was issued by the South Central Railway. This package covers installation work along key routes, including the Lingampalli–Wadi, Wadi–Raichur, and Vikarabad–Bidar sections, spanning multiple states.

Kavach, which means "armour" in Hindi, is designed to enhance safety on Indian Railways by preventing collisions, ensuring speed regulation, and protecting track workers. The system uses a combination of radio communication, GPS, and trackside devices to automatically stop trains in emergencies or when drivers fail to respond to signals.

The tender attracted bids from several major players in the railway technology sector. The HBL–Shivakriti consortium emerged as one of the lowest (L1) bidders, showcasing its technical capability and competitive pricing.

The project is part of Indian Railways' larger plan to expand Kavach coverage across high-density routes, following successful pilot implementations. The Ministry of Railways aims to deploy the system over 2,000+ km of rail routes in the coming years to improve safety standards and align with global railway best practices.

With this LoA, the HBL–Shivakriti consortium will begin the execution phase, which includes supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of the Kavach system as per the specifications laid out by Indian Railways.

Image source:moneycontrol.

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