The Railway Board has extended the deadline for the installation of the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, Kavach, on the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Kolkata routes from March to December 2025. According to the revised railway budget estimates for 2025-26, track-side equipment for Kavach Version 4.0 will be installed across the 3,000 km stretch by the end of 2025, with work progressing on the remaining sections.

Indian Railways adopted Kavach as the national ATP system in 2020, with the latest specification for Version 4.0 approved in July 2024. The project includes the installation of Kavach on 10,000 locomotives, which is already underway. The technology comprises multiple components such as RFID tags along the tracks, telecom towers, optical fibre cables, and Loco Kavach installed on each locomotive. Given its complexity, the installation process is time-consuming but is advancing at a faster pace compared to similar systems in developed countries.

Efforts to deploy Kavach have been on-going across the Indian railway network in a mission-driven approach. The Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) approved Kavach Version 4.0 in July 2024, incorporating advanced safety features. The Railway Minister recently stated that the entire rail network is expected to be covered by Kavach within the next six years.

Field trials for the system began in February 2016, leading to the approval of three firms for supplying Kavach Version 3.2 in 2018-19. The system was initially deployed across 1,465 RKm on South Central Railway, generating valuable insights that contributed to the development of Version 4.0. This upgraded version enhances safety measures and is designed to cater to the vast and diverse railway network in India.

News source: The Print