Hans News Service New Delhi

NorthCentral Railway (NCR) has achieved a major milestone in railway safety by successfully commissioning the indigenous KAVACH 4.0 Train Collision Avoidance System on the 64-route kilometre Mirzapur–Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction section. With this, the KAVACH-protected network in Prayagraj Division has expanded to 636 route kilometres, reinforcing Indian Railways’ push for safer, technology-driven operations.

KAVACH is an indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system designed to prevent Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) incidents, enforce speed restrictions, avoid collisions and provide real-time operational information to loco pilots. Using RFID tags, UHF radio communication and microprocessor-based technology, the system continuously exchanges information between locomotives, stations and trackside equipment. If a train crosses a signal at danger or exceeds the permissible speed, KAVACH first issues visual and audio warnings before automatically applying brakes if required. It also ensures safe train separation and supports operations even during dense fog.

Earlier, KAVACH 4.0 had been commissioned on the Chipyana–Tundla (175 km), Tundla–Panki Dham (207 km) and Kanpur–Prayagraj (190 km) sections. The latest addition creates a continuous KAVACH-enabled corridor of about 636 km from Chipyana to Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction, excluding the Prayagraj–Mirzapur stretch.

The project also marked several technical firsts, including the commissioning of KERNEX-manufactured KAVACH on a WAG-9 freight locomotive and integration with nine Electronic Interlocking stations. A total of 1,824 RFID tags were installed, three new communication towers were built, and extensive field trials were conducted using the Brahmaputra Express and Purushottam Express.

NCR said work on the remaining sanctioned sections is progressing rapidly, with phased commissioning expected to further enhance safety and support Mission Raftar on the vital Delhi–Howrah High Density Rail Corridor.