Armouring Up

The centre is looking to put the deployment of the Kavach system on a fast track to strengthen the security of the Railways—the lifeline of the nation

- RICHA SHARMA

ON JUNE 17, a goods train rammed into the Kanchanjunga Express in West Bengal, killing 10 and injuring many. The accident has renewed calls for expediting the deployment of Kavach, an automatic train protection (ATP) system which is so far operational in just 2% of the 69,000km long railway network.

The system currently covers 1,465 km and 139 locomotives (including Electric Multiple Unit rakes) on the South Central Railway network. A further 6,000 km has been tendered and the tendering process for another 10,000 km is underway.

Kavach aids the loco pilot in trains running within specified speed limits by automatically applying brakes in case the loco pilot fails and also helps the train run safely during harsh weather.

Other benefits include controlling speed of trains by automatic application of brakes on the approach of turnouts, repeating of signal aspects in the cab, useful for higher speeds and foggy weather, and auto whistles at level crossing gates.

The Union government earmarked ₹710 crore for the system in the FY24 Budget and another ₹560 crore was allocated in the FY25 Interim Budget. Fitting a train with Kavach technology costs around ₹70 lakh and the trackside and station equipment cost around ₹50 lakh, per kilometer.