In a recent update, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw disclosed in the Rajya Sabha that the Indian Railways has utilized Rs 321.85 crore out of the total budgetary allocation of Rs 798.98 crore for the implementation of 'Kavach,' an advanced anti-collision device. The revelation indicates that more than 40% of the allocated funds have been put to use in the current financial year. The 'Kavach' system, adopted as a national Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system in July 2020, is an indigenously developed and highly technology-intensive initiative. Minister Vaishnaw responded to queries from Javed Ali Khan, a Samajwadi Party MP in the Rajya Sabha, providing insights into the progress and future plans for this innovative safety measure. So far, 'Kavach' has been successfully deployed on 1,465 km and 139 locomotives, including electric multiple unit rakes, on the South Central Railway. As part of the ongoing efforts, tenders for 'Kavach' implementation have been awarded for the Delhi?Mumbai and Delhi?Howrah corridors, covering approximately 3,000 km. The minister highlighted key achievements, including the installation of optical fibre cables along 3040 km, the deployment of 269 telecom towers, and the installation of 186 station equipment. Vaishnaw detailed the 'Kavach' system, which involves the installation of station 'Kavach' at each station, RFID tags throughout the track length, Loco 'Kavach' on every locomotive, 'Kavach' towers throughout the section, and laying optical fibre throughout the train route. Continuous approval from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is integral to the process, with three OEMs currently approved for 'Kavach.' Responding to questions about the future roadmap, Minister Vaishnaw outlined the targets for equipping railway routes and trains with the anti-collision device in 2023-24 and 2024-25. He also provided insights into the details of private companies with whom Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) have been signed, along with the corresponding fund allocations, releases, and utilization zone-wise during 2023-24 till date. With 'Kavach' taking center stage in enhancing railway safety, the disclosed budgetary allocation of Rs 798.98 crore for the year 2023-24 underscores the government's commitment to implementing cutting-edge solutions for safeguarding the nation's rail network.