Kavach 4.0: Rail Protection system installed on Mathura-Kota railway section of Delhi-Mumbai Route
Kavach 4.0: The Indian Railways has implemented the locally developed rail protection system, Kavach 4.0, on the heavily trafficked Mathura-Kota segment of the Delhi-Mumbai line. This marks a significant advancement in the modernization of railway security systems within the nation.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav announced that the Railways have independently designed, developed, and produced the Kavach Automatic Train Protection System, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' vision. Kavach 4.0 represents cutting-edge technology and received approval from the Research Designs and Standards Organization (RDSO) in July 2024. While many developed nations took 20 to 30 years to create and implement such a train protection system, Kavach 4.0 was installed on the Kota-Mathura section in a remarkably short period, marking a significant accomplishment.
For six decades following independence, the country did not implement advanced train protection systems that met international standards. Recently, the Kavach system has been introduced to enhance the safety of trains and passengers.
Indian Railways is preparing to install Kavach 4.0 on various railway routes across the country within the next 6 years. So far, more than 30,000 people have been trained on the Kavach system. IRISET (Indian Railway Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunication) has tied up with 17 engineering colleges, institutes, universities recognized by AICTE to include Kavach in the B.Tech curriculum.
The Kavach system will assist locomotive operators by eliminating the need to look outside to apply brakes efficiently or to observe signals in low visibility conditions such as fog. All necessary information will be displayed on the dashboard within the cabin.
What is Kavach?
• Kavach is a domestically created train safety system aimed at averting accidents by overseeing and regulating train speeds.
• It is designed at Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL-4), the highest level of safety.
• The development of Kavach began in 2015. It was tested for 3 years.
• After technical improvements, it was first installed in South Central Railway (SCR) and got the first operational certificate in 2018.
• An advanced version 'Kavach 4.0' was developed based on the experiences in SCR, which was approved for speeds up to 160 km/h in May 2025.
• All the equipment of Kavach is being manufactured indigenously.
Complexity of Kavach:
Kavach is a complex system, and setting it up is comparable to starting a telecommunications company. It comprises the following subsystems:
1. RFID Tags: Installed at every 1 km and at every signal. These give the exact position of the train.
2. Telecom Towers: Towers are installed every few km with optical fibre connectivity and power supply. Loco shield and station shield continuously communicate through these towers.
3. Loco shield: Receives information from RFID tags installed on the track, transmits it to telecom towers and receives radio information from station shield. It is also connected to the braking system of the loco so that automatic braking is applied in case of emergency.
4. Station shield: Installed at every station and block section. It takes information from loco shield and signal system and gives instructions for safe movement.
5. Optical Fibre Cable (OFC): OFC is laid along the track to connect the entire system, making high-speed data communication possible.
6. Signalling System: It is connected to loco shield, station shield, telecom towers etc.
All these systems are installed, tested and certified during movement of heavy passenger and freight trains without any disruption to rail operations.
Progress of KAWACH:
1. Optical fibre laid - 5,856 km
2. Telecom towers installed - 619
3. KAWACH installed at stations - 708
4. KAWACH installed on locos - 1,107
5. Trackside equipment installed - 4,001 route km
Indian Railways invests over Rs 1 lakh crore on safety-related activities every year. KAWACH is one of the many initiatives launched to enhance safety of trains and passengers. The rapid progress and level of deployment of KAWACH reflects the commitment of Railways towards safety.