KAVACH
About
- KAVACH is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in collaboration with the Indian industry.
- RDSO is a research and development organization under the Ministry of Railways.
- It is an advanced electronic system designed at Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL 4), one of the highest safety standards in signalling systems.
- This indicates that there is a 10,000-year chance of only one Kavach mistake.
- Development of Kavach started in 2015. Currently in version 4 (Kavach 4.0), the technology is being implemented in a phased manner.
How does the Kavach safety system work?
- Kavach operates by automatically applying brakes to trains if the driver does not respond promptly.
- It uses RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags placed along tracks and in station yards to ensure safe train operations. When another train is detected on the same track within a predefined distance, the system alerts the locomotive pilot and, if required, automatically applies brakes through onboard equipment.
- The On Board Display of Signal Aspect (OBDSA) enables train operators to monitor signals in adverse visibility conditions, thereby decreasing reliance on manual visual inspections.
- In addition, the system generates alerts during wrong-direction and reverse movements and provides automatic information on level crossing gates.
Why in News?
- Indian Railways has approved the provision of Kavach Version 4.0 on 680 Route Kilometres of the Rewari-Delhi and Shakurbasti-Bathinda sections of Northern Railway.