Indian Railways approved ₹170 crore for the deployment of Kavach Version 4.0 across the remaining 712 route kilometres of Northern Railway’s Moradabad Division. Kavach is an indigenous Automatic Train Protection system used on Indian Railways for train safety functions such as automatic braking and speed regulation.
Kavach 4.0 as an Automatic Train Protection System
Kavach is an Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system developed for Indian Railways to reduce the risk of Signal Passing at Danger, commonly called SPAD. The system can apply brakes automatically when a train approaches a danger signal or exceeds permitted speed limits.
Kavach Version 4.0 includes direct interface with existing Electronic Interlocking Systems, station-to-station communication through optical fibre cable, and improved location accuracy. Electronic Interlocking is a railway signalling system that controls points and signals through computer-based logic.
Coverage and Deployment of Kavach
As of 31 July 2026, Kavach Version 4.0 had been commissioned across 2,633 route kilometres in India. This commissioned network included 1,423 route km on the Delhi-Mumbai corridor and 1,210 route km on the Delhi-Howrah corridor.
Trackside Kavach deployment had been initiated across 21,794 route kilometres covering the High Density Network, the Golden Quadrilateral, and the Golden Diagonal. The programme also included 11,547 km of optical fibre cable, 1,721 telecom towers, and station data centres at 1,009 stations.
Related Railway Safety and Capacity Projects
Indian Railways also approved ₹233 crore for electronic interlocking systems across 21 stations in the Samastipur Division. The Ministry of Railways sanctioned ₹272 crore for a bypass line between Adra and Joychandipahar to increase freight capacity.
Important Facts for Exams
- Kavach is an indigenous Automatic Train Protection system used by Indian Railways.
- SPAD stands for Signal Passing at Danger and is a major railway safety concern.
- Electronic Interlocking is a computer-based signalling system used to control railway points and signals.
- The Delhi-Mumbai corridor and the Delhi-Howrah corridor are among the major high-density railway routes in India.
Railway Safety Infrastructure in India
Optical fibre cable is used in railway communication networks for data transmission between stations and control systems. Telecom towers and station data centres form part of the digital infrastructure used for railway safety and operations.
