Railways Clears ₹206-Crore Kavach Project to Boost Safety on Key Northern Routes

In a major push to strengthen railway safety and modernise train operations, the Ministry of Railways has approved a ₹206-crore project to install Kavach Version 4.0 , India's indigenous automatic train protection (ATP) system, across 680 route kilometres in the Delhi Division of Northern Railway .

The project will cover the Rewari–Delhi and Shakurbasti–Bathinda rail corridors, along with their feeder branch lines. According to the Railway Board , the initiative is part of Indian Railways' nationwide expansion of the advanced safety system across high-density and strategically significant routes.

Kavach has been developed in India to significantly improve railway safety by preventing Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) incidents, one of the leading causes of train collisions. The technology continuously monitors train movement and intervenes automatically whenever necessary by applying brakes if a train exceeds permissible limits or risks violating a signal.

Beyond accident prevention, the system also enables trains to operate safely at their maximum permissible speed , improving punctuality and operational efficiency. It is designed to support reliable train operations even during challenging weather conditions such as dense fog , when visibility for locomotive pilots is severely reduced.

Railway officials said the latest deployment of Kavach Version 4.0 represents another step in the government's broader strategy to adopt technology-driven solutions for safer and more efficient rail transport. The upgraded version incorporates enhanced capabilities and is intended for wider deployment across the national railway network.

In a statement, the Railway Board said the project would strengthen passenger safety, improve operational reliability and enhance the efficiency of both passenger and freight services . It added that expanding Kavach across critical routes aligns with Indian Railways' long-term vision of creating a modern, digitally enabled and accident-resistant rail network.

The latest approval reflects the Railways' sustained investment in indigenous technology, with Kavach emerging as a cornerstone of efforts to reduce human error, minimise collision risks and build a safer, smarter transportation system capable of meeting India's rapidly growing mobility and logistics demands in the years ahead.