Safety is accorded the highest priority by Indian Railways, and all possible steps are being undertaken on a continuous basis to prevent train accidents. Indian Railways has indigenously developed an automatic train protection system—‘Kavach’ (Train Collision Avoidance System)—to prevent accidents caused by human error or equipment failures. It provides real-time information to train pilots, making it safer to run trains at higher speeds. The system can automatically apply brakes if the loco pilot fails to do so and also helps trains run safely during inclement weather.

As far as South Eastern Railway’s Kavach installation is concerned, the 688-kilometer HDN line (Howrah-Kharagpur-Bhadrak and Kharagpur-Tatanagar-Jharsuguda section) will open for tender on November 25, 2024. Work on the 1,556 KM HUN route has been approved for Kavach, with the deadline to invite tenders set for January 31, 2025. The remaining 515 KM of Kavach construction is approved under the Financial Year 2024–2025 umbrella project. The commissioning of Kavach over South Eastern Railway is tentatively planned for March 2028.

A multidisciplinary team is needed to coordinate the various activities involved because Kavach installation is a major challenge requiring close coordination with the rolling stock branch due to the complexities of Indian Railways, including mixed traffic, speed differentials, and various types of locomotives, coaching, and wagon stocks. Despite these challenges, Indian Railways has planned to complete Kavach installation in an expedited manner. The latest version of Kavach has so far been installed on 1,548 RKM, with work underway for another 3,000 RKM. Moreover, bids have been invited for an additional 14,735 RKM. With the increasing demand for improved safety measures, Kavach is seen as a crucial addition to India’s railway safety infrastructure.

Source/SER