Kavach 4.0 to Shield 10,000 Locomotives in Next Phase, Says Ashwini Vaishnaw

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Wednesday that the next phase of India’s indigenous Kavach 4.0 automatic train protection system will equip 10,000 locomotives, marking a significant leap in railway safety.

Speaking amid ongoing efforts to modernize Indian Railways, Vaishnaw emphasized that this rollout, part of a broader mission, will also cover thousands of kilometers of tracks, with tenders already in motion to fast-track implementation.

Kavach 4.0, approved by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation in July 2024, is designed to prevent collisions and ensure safe operations across diverse terrains—hills, forests, deserts, and coasts. “This is India’s own technology, built for India,” Vaishnaw said recently, highlighting its debut on the Sawai Madhopur-Kota section last September.

The system autonomously applies brakes in emergencies, enforces speed limits, and enhances communication between trains and stations, a response to recent accidents exposing gaps in safety protocols.

The minister revealed that tenders for this phase, floated in August 2024, aim to outfit 10,000 locomotives and over 9,000 route kilometers by mid-2027, with the Delhi-Howrah and Delhi-Mumbai routes—spanning 3,000 kilometers—targeted for completion by March 2025.

A second batch of 10,000 locomotives will follow, alongside plans to secure 15,000 kilometers of track by 2030. “What developed nations achieved in 20 years, we’ll do in five,” Vaishnaw had pledged in a March 11 social media post, underscoring the ambitious timeline.

With Rs 1.08 lakh crore allocated for safety in the 2024-25 budget, Indian Railways is betting big on Kavach to slash accident rates, already down from 2.6 daily a decade ago to 0.5 today. As new locomotives roll out pre-fitted with the system, Vaishnaw’s vision promises a safer, smarter rail network—though the real test lies in meeting these deadlines across India’s vast and varied landscape.