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| 03-08-2026 prayagraj |
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| North Central Railway Sets New Benchmark with Successful Commissioning of 'KAVACH 4.0' on Mirzapur-Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction Section (64 RKM) | |
North Central Railway (NCR) has achieved another significant milestone in railway safety with the successful commissioning of KAVACH Version 4.0 (Train Collision Avoidance System - TCAS) over the 64 Route Kilometre Mirzapur (Inclusive) – Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction (Exclusive) section. With this achievement, the total commissioned KAVACH network in Prayagraj Division has expanded to 636 Route Kilometres, marking another major step towards safe, modern and technology-driven railway operations on Indian Railways.
KAVACH is an indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system developed by Indian Railways to enhance train safety. It is designed to prevent Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) incidents, enforce speed restrictions, prevent collisions and provide real-time operational information to the Loco Pilot. The system uses advanced radio communication, microprocessor-based equipment and sensor technology to enable continuous exchange of information among locomotives, stations, signalling systems and trackside equipment, thereby ensuring safer and more reliable train operations.
The system uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags installed at regular intervals along the track to accurately determine the train's position, direction and speed. Antennas installed on locomotives read these tags, while Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radio communication enables continuous exchange of information between locomotives, stations and trackside equipment. If a Loco Pilot attempts to pass a signal at danger or exceeds the permissible speed, KAVACH first issues visual and audible warnings and, if necessary, automatically applies brakes to control the train. The system also maintains a safe distance between trains running on the same track and provides accurate signalling and speed restriction information even during dense fog or poor visibility.
Prior to this, the 'KAVACH 4.0' system had been successfully commissioned on the Chipyana–Tundla (175 RKM), Tundla–Panki Dham (207 RKM), and Kanpur–Prayagraj (excluding) (190 RKM) sections of North Central Railway. Across these sections, 'KAVACH' was operational on a total of 572 Route Kilometres. Now, with the successful commissioning of the 64 Route Kilometre Mirzapur-Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction section, a continuous 'KAVACH'-protected rail corridor of approximately 636 Route Kilometres has been established from Chipyana to Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction (excluding Prayagraj–Mirzapur).
Work on the remaining sanctioned sections of North Central Railway is progressing rapidly, and KAVACH is being commissioned in a phased manner.
The project was successfully completed under the guidance of Shri Naresh Pal Singh, General Manager, North Central Railway, and the leadership of the Principal Chief Signal & Telecom Engineer, with dedicated efforts from senior officers and teams of the Signal & Telecom Department, Prayagraj Division, along with project, planning, design, drawing and field execution teams.
The project also achieved several notable technical milestones. For the first time on Indian Railways, KERNEX-manufactured KAVACH was successfully commissioned on a WAG-9 freight locomotive. KAVACH was successfully integrated with 09 Electronic Interlocking stations, including 07 Hitachi Electronic Interlocking and 02 Kyosan Electronic Interlocking stations through protocol converters. In addition, Auto Section Signalling information was successfully integrated using the Remote Interface Unit (RIU).
The project extensively employed modern technologies. A comprehensive drone survey, RSSI survey and RF survey of the entire section was carried out, and 1,824 RFID tags were installed along the track. To strengthen communication infrastructure, 03 new 40-metre communication towers along with associated KAVACH infrastructure were constructed. In addition, 2 × 24-core backbone Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) was laid, and KAVACH buildings and relay rooms were newly constructed or expanded.
To ensure the reliability of the system, extensive joint testing was carried out by North Central Railway, OEM representatives and ISA Italcertifier. The tests included validation of SPAD prevention, loop line speed control, SOS functionality, various failure modes, RF and communication failure scenarios, STCAS connectivity, RFID reader performance, and mode transition and acknowledgement. Brake-isolated field trials were also successfully conducted using Brahmaputra Express (15657/15658) and Purushottam Express (12801/12802).
This achievement is a significant step towards strengthening railway safety on the Delhi–Howrah High Density Rail Corridor, enhancing operational reliability and enabling safe train operations at higher speeds. The phased expansion of KAVACH by North Central Railway continues to accelerate Indian Railways' vision of safe, modern and technology-driven rail operations while supporting the objectives of Mission Raftar.
(Dr. Amit Malaviya)
Sr. PRO