Automatic Train Protection System KAVACH Goes Live on 472-km Network

Indian Railways on Friday marked a major milestone in its rail safety modernisation programme with the commissioning of KAVACH Version 4.0 , the indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, across 472.3 route kilometres on three key sections of the network, the highest-ever commissioning achieved in a single day, the Railway Ministry said.

The latest rollout includes the 344-km Virar–Surat–Vadodara section of Western Railway, where Train No. 20907 Dadar–Bhuj Sayajinagri Express became the first KAVACH-equipped passenger train to operate from Mumbai , signalling the system’s entry into regular passenger services on one of the country’s busiest corridors.

According to the Ministry, KAVACH 4.0 was also commissioned on the Tuglakabad Junction Cabin–Palwal (35 km) section of Northern Railway and the Manpur–Sarmatanr (93.3 km) section of East Central Railway, taking the total commissioning on January 30 to 472.3 route kilometres .

KAVACH Version 4.0 represents the latest and most advanced iteration of the indigenous train protection system. It is the first version certified to Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) , the highest global safety standard for railway signalling systems, and has been approved for large-scale, multi-zone deployment on high-density trunk routes .

Officials said the Virar–Vadodara section covers 49 stations , supported by 57 radio communication towers and nearly 700 km of optical fibre cable , enabling continuous real-time communication between locomotives, trackside equipment and station interlocking systems. The system is designed to prevent signal passing at danger, control over-speeding and avoid train collisions , while enhancing safety during fog, rain and low-visibility conditions through features such as in-cab signal aspect display and automatic braking .

With the latest commissioning, KAVACH Version 4.0 has now been deployed over 1,306.3 route kilometres across five zones of Indian Railways , up from earlier deployments of 834 route kilometres.

Prior to the large-scale rollout of Version 4.0, earlier versions of KAVACH, including Version 3.0 , were implemented on select pilot and limited operational sections , primarily on South Central Railway . These deployments, including stretches such as the Lingampalli–Vikarabad–Wadi and Secunderabad–Kazipet–Balharshah corridors , were used to validate collision-avoidance logic, radio communication reliability and operational feasibility under Indian conditions.

Railway officials said the experience gained from these pilot deployments formed the technical foundation for the development and certification of KAVACH 4.0 , enabling its approval for nationwide rollout.

On East Central Railway , the effectiveness of KAVACH 4.0 was demonstrated during the inaugural run of the Sasaram Intercity Express on the Manpur–Sarmatanr section, where a live head-on collision test was conducted and the system automatically applied brakes to bring the train to a halt.

Western Railway officials said the zone now has 435 route kilometres commissioned under KAVACH, with installation completed on 364 locomotives . Work is progressing rapidly on other key sections, including Vadodara–Nagda , targeted for commissioning by March 2026 , and Virar–Mumbai Central , expected to be completed by September 2026 .

Developed indigenously by Indian Railways through the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) , KAVACH is being implemented under the Railways’ capital expenditure for safety and signalling works. Officials said the phased expansion of the system reflects Indian Railways’ commitment to Atmanirbhar Bharat , enhanced passenger safety and improved operational reliability across high-density rail corridors.