Indian Railways has taken a significant leap toward realizing its goal of achieving ‘zero accidents’ by formally dispatching the first locomotive integrated with the Kavach Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system. The wide-gauge AC three-phase freight engine, which received the complete installation, was rolled out from the Electric Loco Shed in Ajni, under the Nagpur division.
The Kavach anti-collision technology, supplied by a Hyderabad-based private firm, represents a major advancement as it is a fully indigenously developed and SIL-4 certified system, the highest level of safety integrity, developed under the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
The sophisticated installation includes several critical components strategically placed within the engine’s cab and underframe: a dedicated computer, a radio antenna, an RFID reader, a brake interface unit, and an operation-cum-indication panel.
Functionally, Kavach is designed to automatically mitigate key risks arising from human error, including overspeeding, red-signal infractions, and head-on train collisions. The system achieves this by continuously monitoring movement authority, calculating safe braking distances, tracking signals, and monitoring level crossings. A crucial feature is its ability to automatically apply the brakes if the locomotive driver fails to react to a warning or a potential hazard.
Kavach’s operational reliability is founded on real-time communication involving the Locomotive Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), the Station TCAS, and trackside RFID tags, with GPS ensuring precise time synchronisation across all units.
Data exchanges between the station and locomotive units occur every two seconds, enabling proactive collision avoidance even under adverse conditions, such as low visibility or dense fog. For immediate emergencies, the system is also equipped to halt trains via an SOS warning issued by the crew or the control center.
Following the extensive installation process, the Indian Railways conducted rigorous testing and validation of the Kavach system on a dedicated track within the Ajni shed. Key functionalities, including auto-braking mechanisms, the in-cab display of signal aspects, automatic whistling upon approaching level crossings, and the issuance of emergency SOS alerts, were successfully confirmed.
This rollout marks the beginning of a major safety push; in the initial phase, Indian Railways has targeted equipping approximately 10,000 locomotives with Kavach. Specifically, at the Ajni shed, all 312 three-phase locomotives are scheduled to receive the system.
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