The Supreme Court has acknowledged and appreciated the implementation of the indigenous anti-collision system KAVACH.

What is KAVACH?

• Kavach, an automatic train protection (ATP) system, was initially named Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS).

• • Development commenced in 2011 as Indian Railways and Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO) sought a domestically developed ATP system.
  • B. Rajaram, credited with developing the Skybus Metro system, played a key role in Kavach’s development.
  • Field trials began in 2014, refining the system’s specification.

• Final approval was granted in 2019, certifying Kavach for compliance with Safety Integrity level 4 (SIL-4) operations.

Working Mechanism:

• Kavach comprises trackside Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, onboard locomotive equipment, and radio infrastructure.
• It communicates via radio, enabling real-time train monitoring.
• Drivers receive alerts, and automatic braking is triggered to prevent collisions.
• Kavach uses various data inputs like location, direction, and time to ensure safety.
• Event recorders retain records of interactions and incidents for analysis.
• Alerts and automatic braking ensure an immediate response to hazardous situations.

How does it help prevent collision?

• Kavach is designed to alert the locomotive pilot if they fail to notice a ‘red signal’ and continue at a speed that would surpass the signal.
• If the pilot does not slow down below 15 kmph, Kavach automatically applies the brakes, bringing the train to a halt.

Issues with KAVACH

• High Deployment Cost: Implementing Kavach costs ₹50 lakh per kilometer for the Indian Railways.
• Low Coverage: Currently, Kavach covers only 1,500 kilometers of rail routes, a small fraction of the total 68,000-kilometer network (as of November 2023).
  • Expanding its coverage, particularly on high-density routes, remains a formidable challenge.

Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024

Attend Now