Process to install Kavach on Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah corridors started

Indian Railways has awarded tender for installation of Kavach for Delhi – Mumbai and Delhi – Howrah corridors (approximately 3,000 Route km) and work is in progress on these routes.

The Indian Railways is also preparing Detailed Project Report (DPR) to install Kavach for another 6,000 Route kilometers. Kavach has so far been deployed on 1465 route km and 121 locomotives (including Electric Multiple Unit rakes) on South Central Railway, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

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"The amount spent so far on Kavach implementation is Rs.351.91 Crores. The Cost for provision of Track side including Station equipment of Kavach is approximately Rs 50 lakh per km and cost for provision of Kavach equipment on loco is approximately Rs 70 lakh per loco," the Minister said.

At present, the railways has approved three Indian Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to supply Kavach. Efforts are being made to develop more vendors to enhance the capacity and scale up the implementation of the system.

Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system. Kavach is a highly technology intensive system, which requires safety certification of highest order. Kavach aids the loco pilot in train running within specified speed limits by automatic application of brakes in case the pilot fails to do so and also help the train safely run during inclement weather.

The first field trials on the passenger trains were started in February 2016. Based on the experience so gained and Independent Safety Assessment of the system by a 3rd party (Independent Safety Assessor: ISA), three firms were approved in 2018-19, for supply of Kavach. Subsequently Kavach was adopted as a National ATP system in July 2020, the Minister said.