Why in the News?
- The Union Railway Minister informed the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament that the indigenously developed Kavach system has been fully commissioned on over 2,000 km of the Indian Rail network.
- The rollout is progressing at a very fast pace across multiple railway zones.
What is Kavach?
- Kavach is an indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system.
- It is designed to prevent train collisions, over-speeding, and signal passing at danger (SPAD).
- It enhances operational safety through real-time monitoring and automatic intervention.
Development and Agencies Involved
- Developed by:
- Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) under Indian Railways
- Industry partners:
- Medha Servo Drives Pvt. Ltd.
- HBL Power Systems Ltd.
- Kernex Microsystems
Current Status (as of December 2025)
- 7,129 km of Optical Fibre Cable laid
- 860 telecom towers installed
- 767 railway stations connected to data centres
- Trackside equipment deployed along 3,413 km
- 4,154 locomotives equipped with Kavach
- Around 40,000 technicians and operators trained
Impact
- Consequential railway accidents reduced by nearly 90%
- Accidents declined from 135 (2014) to about 11 currently
- Demonstrates tangible improvement in railway safety outcomes
| Consider the following statements: (2025)
I. Indian Railways have prepared a National Rail Plan (NRP) to create a future ready railway system by 2028. II. ‘Kavach’ is an Automatic Train Protection system developed in collaboration with Germany. III. ‘Kavach’ system consists of RFID tags fitted on track in station section. Which of the statements given above are not correct? (a) I and II only (b) II and III only (c) I and III only (d) I, II and III |
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