Kavach 4.0 covers over 1,300 Route Kilometres across Five Indian Railways Zones

New Delhi, India (Metro Rail Today): Indian Railways has achieved a major safety milestone with the commissioning of 472.3 route kilometres of Kavach Version 4.0, the indigenous Automatic Train Protection system, across three key sections of its network. The newly commissioned stretches include the Vadodara–Virar section on Western Railway, the Tuglakabad Junction Cabin–Palwal section on Northern Railway, and the Manpur–Sarmatanr section on East Central Railway. This development marks the highest ever route kilometres of Kavach commissioned both in a single day and within a month, underlining the accelerated pace of safety upgrades on high-density corridors.

With this latest commissioning, Kavach Version 4.0 is now operational across five zones of Indian Railways and covers a cumulative 1,306.3 route kilometres. Until recently, the system had been commissioned over 834 route kilometres, including large sections of the Delhi–Mumbai and Delhi–Howrah trunk routes, as well as Gujarat’s first Kavach-enabled section between Vadodara and Ahmedabad. The rapid expansion reflects Indian Railways’ strategic focus on deploying modern safety systems alongside capacity enhancement.

Upgrading Safety on High-Traffic Corridors

On Northern Railway, Kavach 4.0 has been commissioned on the 35-km Tuglakabad Junction Cabin–Palwal section of the four-line Delhi–Mumbai route. This busy stretch caters to a mix of suburban, long-distance passenger and freight traffic and is one of the most critical sections of the network. The commissioning covers major station yards, automatic signalling sections and absolute block signalling lines, significantly enhancing operational safety and reliability.

Mrs. Mamta Shah, MD & CEO of Urban Infra Group, said the record commissioning reflects a decisive shift in railway priorities. “Achieving such a large-scale Kavach deployment in a single day demonstrates that safety is no longer incremental but central to India’s rail strategy. Indigenous systems like Kavach are transforming how high-density networks manage risk while supporting higher speeds and capacity,” she said.

Validation Through Live Operations

On East Central Railway, train operations have commenced with Kavach 4.0 on the 93.3-km Manpur–Sarmatanr section of the Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya division. The first Kavach-enabled run was successfully conducted by the Sasaram Intercity Express, during which a head-on collision test was performed and the system automatically brought the train to a halt, validating its effectiveness under real operating conditions. This section forms part of the Delhi–Howrah trunk route and is being upgraded under Mission Raftar to support higher speeds.

Western Railway Sets New Benchmark

The largest single contribution to the latest milestone comes from Western Railway, where Kavach 4.0 has been commissioned on the 344-km Vadodara–Virar section of the Delhi–Mumbai route. The commissioning was marked by the first Kavach-equipped train operating out of Mumbai. Works are progressing rapidly on adjoining sections, including Vadodara–Nagda and Virar–Mumbai Central, while Kavach fitment on locomotives is also advancing steadily.

Dr. Vinod Shah, Director General of the Indian Chamber of Railway Industries, said the achievement has long-term industrial significance. “Record commissioning of Kavach 4.0 sends a strong signal to the signalling and safety industry. Large-scale deployment will drive standardisation, cost efficiency and innovation, while reinforcing India’s position as a global benchmark for indigenous railway safety systems,” he noted.

With Kavach 4.0 meeting the highest global safety integrity standards and designed specifically for India’s complex rail environment, Indian Railways’ latest achievement represents a decisive step towards safer, smarter and more self-reliant rail operations for millions of passengers.