Railways deploy Kavach 4.0 on 1,297 km across Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Howrah routes

Kavach 4.0 has been operationalised on the Junction Cabin–Palwal–Mathura–Nagda section (667 Rkm), Vadodara–Virar (336 Rkm), Vadodara–Ahmedabad (96 Rkm), Gaya–Sarmatanr (93 Rkm), and Howrah–Bardhaman (105 Rkm). Trackside implementation work has also been taken up on 23,360 RKM covering Golden Quadrilateral (GQ), Golden Diagonal (GD), High-Density Network (HDN) and other identified routes.

Post Published By: Sujata Biswal

Updated : 11 February 2026, 4:43 PM IST

Representational Image

New Delhi: Indian Railways has accelerated safety upgrades across its network, commissioning the indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system Kavach Version 4.0 on 1,297 route kilometres, including critical stretches of the high-density Delhi–Mumbai and Delhi–Howrah corridors.

Kavach 4.0 has been operationalised on the Junction Cabin-Palwal-Mathura-Nagda section (667 Rkm), Vadodara-Virar (336 Rkm), Vadodara-Ahmedabad (96 Rkm), Gaya-Sarmatanr (93 Rkm), and Howrah-Bardhaman (105 Rkm). Trackside implementation work has also been taken up on 23,360 RKM covering Golden Quadrilateral (GQ), Golden Diagonal (GD), High-Density Network (HDN) and other identified routes.

What is Kavach?

Kavach is an indigenously developed, SIL-4 certified Automatic Train Protection system that applies brakes automatically if a loco pilot fails to respond, ensuring trains operate within permissible speed limits and enhancing safety during adverse weather conditions.

Adopted as India’s National ATP system in July 2020, the upgraded Version 4.0 was approved by RDSO on July 16, 2024, after extensive trials and improvements in signal accuracy, yard interface, and electronic interlocking integration.

Deployment and Investment

As of January 30, 2026:

• 8,570 km of Optical Fibre Cable laid
• 938 telecom towers installed
• 767 station data centres commissioned
• 5,672 Rkm equipped with trackside Kavach systems
• 4,154 locomotives fitted with Kavach

Tenders have been finalised to equip 6,300 electric locomotives, while another tender for 2,679 diesel locomotives is under finalisation.

The cost of trackside Kavach installation is approximately Rs 50 lakh per km, while locomotive equipment costs about Rs 80 lakh per engine. So far, Rs 2,573.36 crore has been spent on Kavach implementation, with Rs 1,673.19 crore allocated for 2025-26.

Major Safety Gains Across Network

Railways data show significant improvements in safety indicators over the past decade:

• Rail fractures reduced by over 88% (from 2,548 in 2013-14 to 289 in 2024-25)
• Weld failures down 90% (from 3,699 to 370)
• Unmanned level crossings on broad gauge eliminated by January 2019
• LHB coach production increased over 18 times (42,677 coaches in 2014-25 vs 2,337 earlier)
• Electronic interlocking expanded fourfold to 3,691 stations

The use of high-quality 60 kg rails has more than doubled to 1.43 lakh km, while longer rail panels (260m) have increased nearly eightfold.

Fire Safety and Maintenance Reforms

Fire detection and suppression systems are now being installed in newly manufactured power cars and pantry cars, while smoke and fire detection systems are being progressively fitted in coaches.

The introduction of the ‘Rolling Block’ concept in 2023 enables maintenance planning up to 52 weeks in advance, ensuring systematic repair and replacement of railway assets.

Additionally, 48,000 personnel - including 45,000 loco pilots and assistant loco pilots - have been trained in Kavach technology.

With large-scale deployment underway, Indian Railways is positioning Kavach 4.0 as a landmark advancement in rail safety, aiming to significantly reduce accidents and enhance operational reliability across one of the world’s largest rail networks.