Lok Sabha Question No. 336 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-27
Subject: Deployment of 'Kavach' System in Railways
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Abhishek Banerjee

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 336

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.11.2024

## DEPLOYMENT OF 'KAVACH' SYSTEM IN RAILWAYS

## 336.  SHRI ABHISHEK BANERJEE:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the total amount of funds allocated for installation and deployment of 'Kavach' system or Traffic Collision Avoidance System  (TCAS)  in  the  Railways  budget  for  the  financial  years 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25;
- (b) the  details  of  the  amount  of  funds  utilised  till  date  out  of  the allocated budget in States like West Bengal and Odisha during the financial years 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25 along with the particulars of the same;
- (c) the  details  of  the  railway  routes  and  other  modalities  of  the 'Kavach' system which have been sanctioned to be installed for the  financial  years  2021-22,  2022-2023,  2023-24,  and  2024-25; and;
- (d) the details of the percentage of the routes and other modalities of the 'Kavach' system, successfully installed and deployed across railway routes in the country till date?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a) to (d):    A statement is laid on the Table of the House .

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.336 BY SHRI ABHISHEK BANERJEE TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 27.11.2024 REGARDING DEPLOYMENT OF 'KAVACH' SYSTEM IN RAILWAYS

(a) to  (d):

1. Kavach  is  an  indigenously  developed  Automatic  Train  Protection (ATP)  system.    Kavach  is  a  highly  technology  intensive  system, which requires safety certification of highest order (SIL-4).
2. Kavach  aids  the  Loco  Pilot  in  running  of  train  within  specified speed limits by automatic application of brakes in case Loco Pilot fails  to  do  so  and  also  helps  the  trains  to  run  safely  during inclement weather.
3. The  first  field  trials  on  the  passenger  trains  were  started  in February  2016.  Based  on  the  experience  gained  and  Independent Safety Assessment of the system by Independent Safety Assessor (ISA), three firms were approved in 2018-19, for supply of Kavach ver 3.2.
4. 4.
5. Kavach was adopted as National ATP system in July 2020.
5. Implementation of Kavach System involves following Key Activities:
- a. Installation  of  Station  Kavach  at  each  and  every  station, block section.
8. b.
9. Installation of RFID Tags throughout the track length.
- c. Installation of telecom Towers throughout the section.
11. d.
12. Laying of Optical Fibre Cable along the track.
- e. Provision  of  Loco  Kavach  on  each  and  every  Locomotive running on Indian Railways.

- Based on deployment of Kavach version 3.2 on 1465 RKm on South Central Railway, lot of experience was gained. Using that further improvements were made. Finally, Kavach specification version 4.0
6. was approved by RDSO on 16.07.2024.
7. Kavach version 4.0 covers all the  major features required for the diverse railway network. This is a significant milestone in safety for Indian  Railways.  Within  a  short  period,  IR  has  developed,  tested and started deploying Automatic Train Protection System.
8. Major  improvement  in  Version  4.0  includes  increased  Location Accuracy, Improved Information of Signal Aspects in bigger yard, Station to Station Kavach interface on OFC and Direct Interface to existing Electronic Interlocking System. With these improvements, now large scale deployment has started.
9. Kavach has already been deployed on 1548 RKm on South Central Railway  and  North  Central  Railway.  Presently,  the  work  is  in progress on DelhiMumbai & DelhiHowrah corridors (approximately 3000 Route km). Track side works on these routes have  been  completed  on  about  1081  RKM  (705  RKm  on  DelhiMumbai  section  and  376  RKm  on  Delhi-Howrah  section).  Regular trials are being done on these sections.
10. Progress of Key  items  comprising  Kavach  system  on  above mentioned routes upto Oct' 2024 is as under:-
- a.
- Laying of Optical Fibre Cable: 4960 Km
- b. Installation of Telecom Towers: 378 Nos.
- c. Provision of Kavach at Stations: 381 Nos.

- 11.
- d. Provision of Kavach in Loco: 482 Locos
- e.
- Installation of Track side equipment: 1948 RKm.
- Next phase of Kavach implementation is planned as under:-
- a.
- Project for equipping 10,000 Locomotives has been finalized.
- b. Bids  for  track  side  Works  of  Kavach  for  approximately  15000 RKm have been invited, out of which Bids for about 9000Rkm have  been  opened.    It  covers  all  GQ,  GD,  HDN  and  Identified sections of Indian Railways.
12. Currently,  3  OEMs  are  approved  for  supply  of  Kavach  System.  To increase capacity and scale of implementation, trials and approval
- of more OEMs are at different stages.
13. Specialized training programme on Kavach are being conducted at centralized training institutes of Indian Railways to impart training to  all  concerned  officials.  By  now  more  than  9000  technicians, operators and engineers have been trained on Kavach technology. Courses have been designed in collaboration with IRISET.
14. The cost for provision of Track Side including Station equipment of Kavach is approximately Rs. 50 Lakhs/Km and cost for provision of Kavach equipment on locomotives is approximately Rs. 80 Lakh/Loco.
15. The funds utilized on Kavach works so far is Rs. 1547 Crores. The allocation of funds during the year 2024-25 is Rs. 1112.57 Crores. Requisite funds are made available as per the progress of works.

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