Kavach anti-collision system tested at 140 kmph on Indian Railways

Previously, trials were conducted at speeds of 130 kmph at various locations before implementing the system in three sections in the South Central Railway.

"The results of the latest trial have been highly encouraging. We will carefully analyse the report in collaboration with the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and other stakeholders to identify areas for improvement," said Prashasti Srivastava, PRO, Agra Division.

The Kavach system is designed to automatically apply brakes in emergency situations when the driver fails to respond. According to railway sources, additional trials may be necessary to assess the system's efficiency. "Furthermore, if all parameters of the system perform well at 140 kmph, we will conduct trials at higher speeds, up to 160 kmph," added the official.

The Agra Division, under the North Central Railway zone, made special arrangements for the trial at the request of RDSO, which developed Kavach for nationwide implementation in rail networks.

"We have established a complete Kavach network on the 80-km stretch between Mathura (excluding the station) and Palwal. This includes the placement of RFID tags on railway tracks in station areas and other locations. The installation of stationary Kavach units at various places, such as stations, and the installation of towers and antennas along the tracks, were essential components of this anti-train collision system," explained Srivastava.

According to RDSO officials, among all rail networks in India, a 125-km stretch in three parts between Delhi and Agra is the only place where trains can reach a maximum speed of 160 kmph.

The railways state that the Kavach system is already operational in three sections covering 1,465 route km and 139 locomotives in the South Central Railway. However, trials cannot be conducted on that route due to speed restrictions.

"The success of the Kavach system at a speed of 130 kmph is well-established, but as the Indian Railways introduces semi-high-speed trains like Vande Bharat, which can reach 160 kmph, it is essential to test the efficiency of this system at speeds above 130 kmph."

Kavach is an automatic train protection system developed indigenously by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in collaboration with three Indian vendors. It enhances the safety of running trains by assisting loco pilots in avoiding signal passing at danger, over-speeding, and navigating challenging weather conditions such as dense fog, thereby enhancing the safety and efficiency of train operations. Notable features include automatic application of brakes in case the loco pilot fails to act and repeating line-side signals in the cab, particularly useful for higher speeds.