en.Wedoany.com Reported - Indian Railways has approved a plan with a budget of Rs 2.7 billion (Rs 2.7 bn) to install the automatic train protection system (collision avoidance system) named Kavach on a total of 631 route kilometers in the East Coast Railway zone. The Ministry of Railways stated that this installation will be incorporated into the broader Kavach system deployment plan, which relies on an LTE-based communication backbone, rather than being implemented as a standalone installation. This decision marks a new phase in the expansion of this indigenously developed safety technology across the national railway network, aimed at enhancing the safety and operational reliability of railway corridors serving Odisha and surrounding areas.
The project will be implemented on the following sections: Baghuapal–Budhapank, Haridaspur–Paradeep, Khurda Road–Balangir, Naupada–Gunupur, Lanjigarh Road–Junagarh, and Bobbili–Salur. These sections operate a mix of passenger and freight trains, connecting multiple industrial and commercial centers within the East Coast Railway jurisdiction. Implementation on these sections will focus on integration with existing signaling and traffic management systems. Work plans and commissioning schedules will be managed to minimize disruption to train operations.
Kavach is an Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system developed in India. Its primary functions include preventing trains from passing red signals, enabling overspeed control, and automatically applying brakes to avoid collisions without driver intervention. Railway officials stated that the system continuously tracks train operational status and issues commands upon detecting risks, thereby reducing reliance on human reaction time. The technology also assists train operations under low visibility conditions, such as the dense fog in winter that often forces trains to reduce speed and causes delays.
Once operational, the system is expected to enhance safety redundancy and service reliability on the designated routes, benefiting freight and passenger services passing through Odisha and adjacent areas. Manufacturers involved in this procurement and supply chain include HBL Engineering, Kernex Microsystems, Quadrant Future Tek, and Bharat Electronics as an electronic and communication systems supplier. The Ministry of Railways stated that this deployment is part of its phased expansion plan and indicates that with resources allocated, further deployments of the system will follow on busy railway corridors.
