3 weeks ago
Vijayawada to Get South Coast Railway's First Kavach Network
Trains are very fast, and sometimes they can go too fast or get too close to another train, which can be dangerous.
To keep people safe, Indian Railways made a special computer system called Kavach, which means 'armor' in Hindi.
Kavach can automatically put on the brakes if a train is going too fast or might hit another train.
A new railway zone called South Coast Railway is getting Kavach for the first time.
The first place to get it will be in Vijayawada, a city in India.
The plan is to have it working on about 100 kilometers of very busy train tracks by December 2026.
About 100 train engines in this area already have the special equipment installed.
After that, they plan to add Kavach to 400 more kilometers of tracks.
Later, they will also put Kavach in the Visakhapatnam area.
This will help make train rides safer for passengers.
Vijawada Division will see South Coast Railway's (SCoR) first commissioning of Kavach, an indigenously developed automatic train protection system.
The initial rollout, targeted for December 2026, will cover nearly 100 km of High Density Network (HDN) routes.
SCoR plans to expand the Kavach network by another 400 km after the initial rollout.
Around 100 locomotives under SCoR have already been equipped with the system.
Kavach automatically applies brakes if a train exceeds the permitted speed or if a potential collision is detected.
- Who
- South Coast Railway (SCoR), led by general manager Sandeep Mathur, in coordination with Indian Railways.
- What
- The first commissioning of Kavach, an indigenously developed automatic train protection system.
- Where
- Vijayawada Division of South Coast Railway, India; a section in the Visakhapatnam Division is planned for the next phase.
- When
- Initial rollout targeted for December 2026.
- Why
- To improve operational safety by preventing overspeeding and collisions, particularly on high-density routes.
Key facts
- System
- Kavach (automatic train protection system)
- Railway Zone
- South Coast Railway (SCoR)
- First Phase Location
- Vijayawada Division
- First Phase Coverage
- Nearly 100 km of High Density Network routes
- Target Date
- December 2026
- Planned Expansion
- Additional 400 km after initial rollout
- Locomotives Equipped
- Around 100
- Next Phase Location
- Visakhapatnam Division
Quotes
Sandeep Mathur
General Manager, South Coast Railway
“The birth of a new railway zone is a rare and significant responsibility. It requires meticulous planning, close coordination and a shared vision. Safety will remain non-negotiable and at the core of our development.”
deccanchronicle.com










