KAVACH safety system: NER begins installation on key routes, 136 locos

North Eastern Railway has started installing the KAVACH safety system on the Chhapra-Barabanki route, with Rs. 123.95 crore sanctioned for 136 locomotives. Kavach 4.0 has also been commissioned on 738 km of key national routes.

Pankaj Kumar Singh, Chief Public Relations Officer of North Eastern Railway, while speaking on the KAVACH system being installed in the Indian railways, stated that the railway's first priority is safety, and the railway is continuously working towards it. As a result, railway safety has improved, and the railway's safety record is very good. "Safety is the railway's first priority...In this regard, the work of installing KAVACH has also been started in the North Eastern Railway. If we talk about the main railway lines, our first priority is the important route from Chhapra to Barabanki and Sitapur to Budhwal. The tender process for installing KAVACH on this route has been completed, and physical work has also begun. The work of laying cables and installing towers has started. The Railway Minister has sanctioned the installation of KAVACH in 136 locomotives at a cost of Rs. 123.95 crore. With this work, the locomotives currently in operation will also be equipped with KAVACH. New trains like Vande Bharat already come equipped with KAVACH. So, KAVACH is a complete system..." he told ANI.

Kavach 4.0 Commissioned on Major National Routes

Meanwhile, the Kavach 4.0 has been commissioned on 738 route km across Palwal-Mathura-Nagda, section (633 Rkm) on the Delhi-Mumbai route and Howrah-Bardhaman section (105 Rkm) on the Delhi Howrah route, according to an official release by the Ministry of Railways, Government of India.

Understanding the KAVACH System

The Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system. Kavach is a highly technology-intensive system, which requires safety certification of the highest order (SIL-4). Kavach aids the Loco Pilot in running trains within specified speed limits by automatically applying brakes in case the Loco Pilot fails to do so, and also helps the trains to run safely during inclement weather.

The first field trials on the passenger trains were started in February 2016. Kavach version 4.0 covers all the major features required for the diverse railway network. This is a significant milestone in safety for Indian Railways. Within a short period, IR has developed, tested and started deploying the Automatic Train Protection System.

Major Improvements in Version 4.0

Major improvement in Version 4.0 includes increased Location Accuracy, Improved Information of Signal Aspects in bigger yards, Station to Station Kavach interface on OFC and Direct Interface to the existing Electronic Interlocking System. With these improvements, Kavach Version 4.0 is planned for large-scale deployment over Indian Railways. (ANI)

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