2 years after deploying Kavach, Railway Board frames rules for its implementation, functioning

New Delhi: More than two years after deploying the Automatic Train Protection System Kavach on 1465 route km in the South Central Zone, the Railway Board has now included it in the Railway Act of 1989 through a recent Gazette notification and framed rules on its functioning.

Kavach was adopted as the National ATP system in July 2020 and it was first deployed on 1465 route km in South Central Railway in 2023 and its further installation is ongoing.

Safety experts said the deployment helped develop understanding about its functioning and optimisation which further assisted in making rules for its implementation.

The government published a gazette notification on January 2 according to which, the Railway Act of 1989 was amended to include Kavach along with its definition. The Board separately framed new rules regarding its functioning and the role of the safety department in Kavach operational territory.

On January 20, 2025, the Railway Board sent a written communication with these documents to all its zones and concerned departments urging them to take note of the new developments regarding Kavach.

"The Indian Railway Automatic Train Protection System (IR-ATP) (Kavach) means a radio communication based control system, provided as an additional aid to Loco Pilots of functional Kavach fitted locomotives, in Kavach territory, the use of which shall in no way infringe or override the provisions (codes and manuals) of regular train operation required to be followed by loco pilot," said the notification defining Kavach.

Besides adding and explaining the meaning of Kavach in the Railway Act, the new Unified Subsidiary Rules have also been framed for commissioning of fixed signals, limits of speed, the role of station master during accidents/obstructions among others in a territory operational with Kavach system.

For instance, in case of accident or obstruction in Kavach territory, the newly framed unified subsidiary rule says, "When report of any accident or obstruction is received by the Station Master in IR-ATP (Kavach) territory, the Station Master shall operate SOS in Station Master Operational Panel cum Indication Panel (SMOCIP) to prevent other functional IR-ATP (Kavach) trains from entering the affected section." Regarding precaution before starting a train by the locopilot in a Kavach territory, the new rule said, "Before commencement of journey in IR-ATP (Kavach) territory, the Loco Pilot shall boot up on-board Kavach, enter configuration as per the train consist and see whether all parameters are indicated properly. IR-ATP on-board Loco Kavach will be effective only after passing the first Kavach fitted signal in 'OFF' condition." "Please bring the content of the Gazette Notification and Unified Subsidiary Rules to the notice of all concerned," said the January 20 letter from the Board to the General Managers of all the Railway Zones and other authorities concerned.

K P Arya, a former chief signal and telecom engineer/information technology in Northern Railway, said, "It was not a developed product but was being developed indigenously so some time and learning were required to optimise the system so that some mature instruction could arise. So, I think the course taken in this case is proper." Shailendra Kumar Goel, a former DG of Indian Railways Institute of Signal Engineering & Telecommunications, said, "Before incorporating in the rules and regulations, a broader understanding and acceptance of the system across various departments in the Railway System was necessary." "However, more important issue which needs to be watched is Railway's ability to deliver on its projected commitment of delivery," he said.

Kavach is an automatic train protection system for enhancing safety of running trains. It has been developed indigenously by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in association with three Indian vendors.

Kavach not only helps locopilots avoid signal-passing but also helps in train running during inclement weather such as dense fog, leading to enhanced safety and efficiency of operations.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on December 20, 2024 that the Kavach latest version 4.0 was approved by the Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO) on July 16, 2024.

He said that up to November 2024, 5133 km of laying of optical fibre cable; installation of 540 telecom towers; provision of Kavach at 523 railway stations and 707 locos along with 3434 km of installation of track side equipment were completed and further installation work is happening on a massive scale.