In a first, Indian Railways allows MNCs to deploy indigenous Kavach anti train collision system on network

India’s capability to deploy the Kavach automatic train collision avoidance system is set to receive a boost with approval being given to global companies, Germany’s Siemens and Japan’s Kyosan, to install it on the Indian Railways network. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that Kavach deployment will increase to 5,000 kilometers per year by the 2025-26 financial year, up from the current 1,500 kilometers annually, according to an ET report.
Tenders for the installation of Kavach over 3,000 kilometers were awarded in December last year, and progress is on schedule with 98% of the radio survey on the routes completed so far. The Railway Minister stated that bids for installing Kavach on another 2,500 kilometers of railway networks will be awarded soon.
According to a TOI report, by March 2025, the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah railway routes, considered the busiest, will be entirely fitted with the anti-train collision system Kavach. As per Vaishnaw’s update on Kavach’s advancement, currently, 1,659 km of railway lines have the system installed, with an additional 500 km set to be covered by March next year. Over the subsequent three years, the aim is to extend this safety measure to encompass at least 5,000 km of tracks.

What is the Kavach anti train collision system?

Kavach is an Automatic Train Protection system which was developed indigenously by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in collaboration with the Indian industry. According to Indian Railways it is as a cost-effective Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL-4) certified technology.
In simple terms, Kavach aims to avert train collisions. If a train’s speed exceeds the designated limits and the driver fails to intervene, this system automatically engages the train’s braking mechanism. Indian Railways asserts that Kavach effectively prevents collisions between two trains equipped with this operational safety feature.

Until now, only three companies – Medha Servo Drives, HBL Power Systems, and Kernex Microsystems – had the rights to deploy Kavach. However, with the recent approvals, Indian Railways’ capability to install Kavach will significantly increase. This indigenously developed open-source technology requires companies interested in deploying Kavach systems to develop their systems according to the specifications provided by the Indian Railways, Vaishnaw said.

Looking ahead, the next generation of Kavach will be based on Long-Term Evolution (LTE), also known as 4G and 5G technology. Vaishnaw mentioned that two tenders will be awarded in the next fiscal year – one to upgrade existing Kavach networks and another to deploy the technology over a longer route.

Addressing concerns about potential conflicts impacting the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), Vaishnaw stated that the Israel-Hamas conflict will have no impact on the IMEC corridor plan.
Regarding Railways’ capital expenditure, Vaishnaw revealed that they are on track to close the month with 70% of the budgeted capital expenditure. The full year’s work is expected to be completed by mid-March 2024. Additionally, 50 out of the planned 80 Gati Shakti Cargo terminals have already been commissioned, with another 80 terminals set to be completed in the next 8-10 months.
Vaishnaw also projected an increase in footfall on the Indian Railways, with an estimated 7.5 billion passengers expected to use the railways in the current fiscal year, up from 6.4 billion in the previous fiscal year.
Providing an update on the bullet train project, Vaishnaw mentioned that adjustments have been made to Japan’s E5 Shinkansen to suit Indian conditions.