In response to recent train accidents, the Ministry of Railways has expedited the installation of the Kavach Automatic Train Protection system. Tenders have been issued for the deployment of the system across 9,600 km of railway tracks and for equipping 10,000 locomotives in the upcoming months.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw outlined a comprehensive plan aimed at reducing train accidents by addressing human error, enhancing track maintenance, and strengthening infrastructure.
The Kavach system, which has a Safety Integrity Level (SIL)-4 certification, has been successfully tested on 740 km of tracks, including segments in Mathura-Palwal, Mathura-Nagda, and Kota-Sawai Madhopur. The SIL-4 certification was granted on July 16 this year, following its design in 2016.
In 2021, Vaishnaw and the then Railway Board chairman tested Kavach by running two trains towards each other to validate the system. However, recent accidents have raised concerns about its effectiveness.
Vaishnaw highlighted that Kavach SIL-4 is cost-effective and comparable in efficiency to the European Train Control System. Initially designed as a replacement for a previously discontinued anti-collision device, Kavach aims to address the primary cause of train accidents—driver error, which accounts for about 80% of incidents. The remaining 20% stem from maintenance and infrastructure issues.
As of 2023, 40 train accidents have been reported, with 20 occurring in 2024 to date. The government is focused on reducing this rate further.
Cattle straying onto tracks is a significant accident contributor, with approximately 800 incidents occurring daily. The ministry plans to reduce this figure to 200 over the next few years. Fencing along railway tracks has been implemented, starting with the Ahmedabad-Mumbai route, where no cattle-related accidents have been reported since.
The government is also working to increase train speeds, with newer trains like Vande Bharat achieving averages of 130-140 km per hour, necessitating further fencing along additional routes.
