Indian Railways has achieved a major safety milestone by commissioning 472.3 route kilometres of Kavach Version 4.0, the indigenous Automatic Train Protection system, across three critical sections of its network in a single day. This marks the highest-ever Kavach commissioning achieved both in a day and within a month, significantly strengthening train protection on high-density corridors.
The newly commissioned sections include the 344-km Vadodara–Virar stretch on Western Railway, the 35-km Tuglakabad Junction Cabin–Palwal section on Northern Railway, and the 93.3-km Manpur–Sarmatanr section on East Central Railway. With this addition, Kavach Version 4.0 is now operational across five zones of Indian Railways, covering a cumulative 1,306.3 route kilometres.
Prior to this commissioning, Kavach 4.0 had been deployed over 834 route kilometres, including the Palwal–Mathura–Nagda section of the Delhi–Mumbai route, the Howrah–Bardhaman section of the Delhi–Howrah route, and Gujarat’s Bajwa–Ahmedabad section. The latest expansion surpasses the previous single-day record of 324 route kilometres achieved on the Kota–Mathura section.
On Northern Railway, Kavach 4.0 has been commissioned on the 35-km Tuglakabad Junction Cabin–Palwal section of the four-line Delhi–Mumbai route. The system has been installed across major station yards, two automatic signalling lines and two absolute block signalling lines, delivering a significant safety upgrade on one of the busiest corridors serving suburban, long-distance passenger and freight traffic.
On East Central Railway, Kavach-enabled train operations commenced on the 93.3-km Manpur–Sarmatanr section of the DDUGJ–Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya division. The first Kavach-equipped service, Train No. 13305 Sasaram Intercity Express, successfully operated on the section, during which a head-on collision test was conducted, resulting in automatic braking and validating the system’s effectiveness. Kavach installation is underway over 4,235 route kilometres on East Central Railway, including critical sections of the Delhi–Howrah trunk route.
On Western Railway, Kavach 4.0 has been commissioned on the 344-km Vadodara–Surat–Virar section of the Delhi–Mumbai route. This milestone was marked by Train No. 20907 Dadar–Bhuj Sayajinagri Express becoming the first Kavach-equipped train to operate from Mumbai. Work on the Vadodara–Nagda section is progressing rapidly and is targeted for commissioning by March 2026, while the Virar–Mumbai Central section is expected to be completed by September 2026. Kavach installation on locomotives is also advancing, with 364 locomotives already equipped on Western Railway, and sanctioned works covering 2,667 route kilometres under execution.
Kavach Version 4.0, approved by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation and certified by an Independent Safety Assessor, is designed to meet the operational demands of India’s high-density rail network. The system integrates microprocessors, GPS and radio communication to prevent signal passing at danger, control overspeeding, avert head-on, side and rear-end collisions, and ensure safe operations under low visibility and adverse weather conditions. Complying with SIL-4 safety standards, Kavach 4.0 is a cost-effective, indigenously developed solution that reduces dependence on imported technologies.
With the latest commissioning, Indian Railways continues to accelerate the rollout of Kavach, reinforcing its commitment to safer, smarter and more reliable rail operations for millions of passengers nationwide.
