Syllabus
GS3: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Context: Recently, Indian Railways has commissioned Kavach 4.0 for the Mathura-Kota section of the busy Delhi-Mumbai route.
More on the News
• This is the first commissioning of the latest Kavach version and a step towards modernization of railway safety systems in the country.
• Kavach 4.0 is a technology-intensive system and was approved by the Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO) in July 2024 and finally approved in May 2025 for speeds up to 160 kmph.
• Indian Railway Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications has signed an MoU with 17 AICTE-approved Engineering colleges, institutions, and universities for incorporating Kavach as part of their BTech course curriculum.
Kavach
• Kavach is an indigenously developed train safety system. It is designed to prevent accidents by monitoring and controlling train speeds.
• It is built to Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL 4), which is the highest safety standard.
• Kavach development began in 2015 and was tested for over three years.
• After technical upgrades, it was installed on the South-Central Railway and received its first operational certificate in 2018.
Sub-System of Kavach
• RFID tags: These tags are installed at every 1 km along the entire length of the track. Tags are also installed at every signal. These RFID tags provide the precise location of the trains.
• Telecom Towers: Telecom towers with optical fibre and power are installed every few kilometres along the tracks. Kavach systems on trains and at stations communicate through these towers, creating a network similar to that of a telecom operator.
• Loco Kavach: Loco Kavach reads RFID tags on tracks, communicates with station systems via telecom towers, and receives radio information from the station.
- Kavach is also integrated with the braking system of the locomotives which ensures that brakes are applied in case of an emergency situation.
• Station Kavach: Station Kavach is installed at every station and block section. It receives information from the Loco Kavach and the signalling system and guides the Loco for safe speeds.
• Optical Fibre Cable (OFC): Optical fibre is laid along the tracks that connect all these systems for high-speed data communication.
• Signalling system: The Signalling system is integrated with the Loco Kavach, Station Kavach, telecom towers, etc.
Applications of Kavach
• Signal Aspect Repeater: The system repeats line-side signal aspects in the loco pilot’s cab, which is crucial for higher speeds and in conditions of dense fog where visibility is poor.
• Real-time Information Display: Loco pilots receive a real-time display of signaling-related information, including Movement Authority, Target Speed, and Target Distance, in their cab.
• Loco-to-Loco Communication: It supports direct communication between locomotives, aiding in collision avoidance.
• Overspeeding Control: It controls the speed of trains, automatically applying brakes if the train exceeds the designated speed limits.
Kavach Progress
