Anti-collision system ‘Kavach’ undergoes successful trial, passes 7 key tests

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday reviewed a trial of an Automatic Train Protection System called ‘Kavach’ and oversaw the upgrades made to the system. The trial was conducted between Sawai Madhopur and Indargarh Railway stations in Rajasthan under the West Central Railway Zone.
The minister shared the functioning of Kavach in seven different emergency situations, where it worked as expected in all of them.
Vaishnaw called Kavach the “future of rail safety”, saying 10,000 locomotives and 9,000 km of railway tracks will be equipped with the system in the first phase. A nationwide rollout is targeted for December 2030, he added.
Here’s how Kavach responded to the seven tests:
1. Speed to halt: Kavach halted the train at a safe distance of 50 metre from a red signal – without driver’s intervention.

2. Permanent speed restrictions: The train was running at 130 kmph, but Kavach automatically reduced the speed to 120 kmph through the caution zone and restored it back to 130 kmph after exiting.

3. Loop line: In loop lines, Kavach reduced speed to a safe 30 kmph automatically.

4. Station master message: When the station master flagged an issue, Kavach stopped the train instantly for safety.

5. Level crossing whistling: The driver didn’t use the horn, but Kavach automatically sounded it while passing the level crossing gate.
6. Cab signalling: The next signal aspect was continuously visible on the loco’s cab display throughout the journey, successfully testing the cab signalling system.

7. Home signal passing: The driver attempted to cross a red home signal, but Kavach prevented the train from crossing, ensuring safety and stopping it in time.

The Kavach system, also known as an Automatic Train Protection System, has been developed by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), and it can apply brakes automatically in case of an emergency when a train driver fails to act in time.
The Railway Ministry has been working on this project for the last eight years.
The demand for the Kavach has intensified following a spate of rail accidents recently. In the past five years, the Railways saw an average of 43 consequential accidents – incidents that resulted in passenger casualties or property damage – per year. An average of 56 passengers died in rail accidents per year between 2015 and 2022.