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

Source: Live Mint 

https://www.livemint.com/news/railways-kavach-4-0-on-mathura-kota-section-delhi-mumbai-route-11753883293390.html

https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/indigenously-developed-kavach-40-commissioned-on-mathura-kota-section-of-delhi-mumbai-route20250730194415/