Trials over, trains to soon get ‘Kavach’

Prayagraj/Lucknow : After conducting more than 20 trials on the Vande Bharat Express, the highly anticipated Kavach system (Automatic Train Protection system) will soon be commissioned by the Indian railways for commercial operation. It is most likely to be first operated by the North Central Railway zone.Approximately 400 km of track in the zone is equipped with the Kavach system, which includes RFID (Radio-frequency identification) tags strategically placed along the tracks, particularly at manned level crossings.On Wednesday, the Agra division conducted the final trial of the Kavach system on the Khajuraho-Hazrat Nizamuddin Vande Bharat Express (22469/70) between Mathura's Bhuteshwar railway station and Faridabad's Paliwal railway station, spanning 80 km. This trial marked the last step before the commissioning of Kavach.Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior railway official who participated in the trials, said: "It's our indigenous system and has successfully met all the required parameters during the trials. We can confidently assure that there will never be a train collision on any track equipped with the Kavach system."Elaborating on the functioning of the system, the signal and telecommunication officer said, "The system comprises three components-- the stationary Kavach at the railway station, the onboard Kavach in the locomotive engine, and the RFID tags distributed across the rail section. These components communicate with each other via radio frequencies, providing the driver machine interface (display panel in front of the loco pilot on the train) with information about the train's distance, speed, upcoming signal status, and other technical details."The official further said: "The system is designed to complement the loco pilot, not to replace their role. If the loco pilot fails to execute their task while the train is in motion, the system will automatically take appropriate actions, such as applying the brakes. Under no circumstances will Kavach ever cross a red signal, a scenario that we have often encountered in loco pilots' duties, which can sometimes result in accidents."Prior to Wednesday's trial, independent safety assessor (ISA) test case witnessing was conducted from Mar 19 to Mar 23, and the preliminary ISA report was submitted on May 5. Subsequently, Kavach loco trials were carried out on July 18 and 20, and the final ISA report was provided on Aug 19."Trials have been going on before the commissioning of Kavach system," said Shashi Kant Tripathi, chief public relations officer of NCR. To date, 192 loco pilots, assistant loco pilots, and loco inspectors from all three divisions of North Central Railway—Prayagraj, Jhansi, and Agra—have undergone Kavach training, encompassing 51 high-speed crews.