East Coast Railway to install train collision avoidance system 'Kavach'

The East Coast Railway (ECoR) plans to install the Kavach, train collision avoidance system, an official said.

The Kavach system will be installed between Ranital (Bhadrak) in Odisha and Duvvada (Visakhapatnam) in Andhra Pradesh, a vital section of the Howrah-Chennai main line covering a distance of 595 km.

"Tender has been notified for the survey, design, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of Kavach equipment, as well as other associated works, with an estimated value of about Rs 280 crore," an official statement said.

The installation of Kavach, the indigenous train collision avoidance system, is a top priority set by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to enhance safety on busy and critical rail corridors.

"A detailed estimation is underway for installing Kavach in the remaining sections of ECoR. It is also focusing on modern signalling and interlocking systems to minimize human error," it said.

Kavach, an indigenously developed automatic train protection (ATP) system, is designed to prevent train collisions and ensure enhanced operational safety.

"Once installed, it will offer automatic braking, speed regulation, and will help avoid human errors, especially in emergency situations. The project will include installing equipment on tracks, level crossing (LC) gates, and at railway stations along the designated section, with separate towers for the system being erected at a later phase," it said.

Upon completion of the infrastructure setup, Kavach devices will be integrated into trains operating on this busy corridor, ensuring real-time communication between trains, stations and control centres, thus minimizing the risk of accidents.

The successful implementation of the Kavach system on this critical section of the Howrah-Chennai Main Line will set a benchmark for safety and technology-driven rail operations, significantly reducing the likelihood of signal passing at danger (SPAD) and head-on collisions, creating a safer travel experience for passengers, the statement said.