2 weeks ago
Railways approves Kavach 4.0; 19,700 km of tracks fenced
Trains in India are getting some new safety upgrades to keep passengers safe.
One big change is a special system called Kavach, which is like a smart helper that keeps trains from crashing into each other.
It can automatically slow down or stop a train if it gets too close to danger.
The newest version, Kavach 4.0, will be installed on 660 kilometers of track in one part of the railway network in India.
This will cost about 295 crore rupees.
The railways is also putting up fences along 19,700 kilometers of tracks to keep people and animals safe.
Safety teams are watching areas where people sometimes throw stones at passing trains.
Special awareness programs, called Operation Sathi, teach people who live near the tracks why throwing stones is dangerous.
The government is working with the police in every state to make sure the trains run safely.
Indian Railways approved Kavach Version 4.0, its indigenous Automatic Train Protection system, for 660 route km of the Izzatnagar Division of North Eastern Railway.
The Kavach 4.0 project was sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs 295 crore, including an LTE-based communication backbone.
Around 19,700 km of railway tracks have been fenced across India, including sections in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
The Railways has intensified legal action against stone-pelting and directed train escort parties to stay vigilant on vulnerable stretches.
Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw provided these details in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
State Level Security Committees of Railways have been constituted across states and Union Territories to review railway security arrangements.
- Who
- Indian Railways, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP) and local police
- What
- Approval and deployment of Kavach Version 4.0 on 660 route km, fencing of 19,700 km of tracks, and intensified action against stone-pelting incidents
- Where
- India, including the Izzatnagar Division of North Eastern Railway and railway sections in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh
- When
- Recently announced; the measures are part of ongoing safety drives (the articles do not give a specific date)
- Why
- To prevent train collisions and Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) incidents, protect passengers and railway property from stone pelting, and strengthen overall rail safety
Key facts
- Kavach version
- 4.0
- Coverage approved
- 660 route km in Izzatnagar Division, North Eastern Railway
- Sanctioned cost
- Rs 295 crore
- System type
- Indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system
- Track fencing completed
- Around 19,700 km
- States with fencing
- Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh
- Awareness campaign
- Operation Sathi
- Security oversight
- State Level Security Committees of Railways (SLSCRs)








