The Kavach system has now been implemented on more than 2,200 route kilometres, helping reduce train accidents sharply, from 135 in 2014–15 to 31 in 2024–25, and further to 11 in 2025–26.
About Kavach
- It is an indigenously developed Automated Train Protection (ATP) system that provides Train Protection and Collision Prevention capabilities for trains.
- Developed by: Research Designs & Standards Organization (RDSO) of Indian Railways.
- Continuous improvements: Adopted as the National Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system in 2020, Kavach Version 4.0 approved in 2024.
- Vande Bharat 4.0 is envisaged to incorporate Kavach 5.0
- Key Safety Features:
- Detection and prevention of Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD): Automatically stops the train before the signal.
- Cab signaling with display of movement authority, target distance, speed, and signal aspects.
- Prevention of all types of train collisions: head-on, rear-end, and side-on.
- Continuous real-time updates to the locomotive.
- Automatic horn activation when approaching Level Crossing Gates.
- Emergency Stop-on-Sight (SoS) messages in critical situations.
- Centralized live monitoring of train movements through the Network Management System (NMS).
- Working Principle: Continuous real-time communication between trackside systems and locomotives using secure Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radio antenna and track-mounted Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags.
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