IR Kavach to be installed by North Western Railway zone

Indian Railways has placed 'Safety' as its utmost priority and is actively pursuing various initiatives to prevent train accidents. In line with this commitment, the national railway network has unveiled an indigenous automatic train protection system known as Kavach, or the Train Collision Avoidance System. The primary objective of Kavach is to mitigate accidents caused by human errors leading to Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD) incidents and over-speeding. Kavach System Implementation: The rollout of the Kavach system is proceeding with a targeted approach, following the Railway Board's prioritization. Initially, the system will be implemented on High-Density Routes and the New Delhi - Mumbai and New Delhi - Howrah sections, encompassing approximately 34,000 kilometers of railway network. Tender Awards for Kavach: The North Western Railway (NWR) has recently awarded contracts worth Rs 426 crore for the deployment of the train protection system across 1600 kilometers within its zone. The ambitious project is slated for completion by 2025. Notably, the NWR currently operates three Vande Bharat Express trains equipped with the Kavach system. However, this anti-collision technology has not yet been introduced in this railway zone, limiting its usage. The NWR zone has jurisdiction over four states: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana. Tender awards have also been granted for the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah corridors, covering approximately 3000 route kilometers, with ongoing work along these routes. Additionally, preparations are underway for a Detailed Project Report (DPR) and detailed cost estimates for an additional 6000 route kilometers. Cost and Budget Allocation: The cost for providing Kavach Trackside equipment, including station equipment, amounts to roughly Rs 50 lakhs per kilometer. Meanwhile, the expense for Kavach equipment installation on locomotives totals around Rs 70 lakhs per locomotive. To date, approximately Rs 351.91 crores have been allocated for Kavach implementation. For the fiscal year 2023-24, the Ministry of Railways has earmarked a budgetary fund of Rs 710.12 crores to further advance rail safety through the Kavach system. This substantial investment in the Kavach system underscores the Indian Railways' unwavering commitment to enhancing safety measures, minimizing accidents, and bolstering the overall security of rail travel in the country.