Indian Railways has achieved a major safety milestone by commissioning 472.3 route kilometres (RKm) of Kavach Version 4.0—its indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system—across three key sections of the network in a single day. This marks the highest Kavach commissioning ever recorded in one day and in one month.
The newly commissioned sections include:
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Vadodara–Virar (344 km) on Western Railway
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Tuglakabad Junction Cabin–Palwal (35 km) on Northern Railway
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Manpur–Sarmatanr (93.3 km) on East Central Railway
With this achievement, Kavach 4.0 coverage has now crossed 1,300 route kilometres across five zones of Indian Railways, reinforcing the national transporter’s push for safer and more reliable train operations on high-density corridors.
Record-Breaking Expansion of Kavach 4.0
The latest commissioning takes the total operational footprint of Kavach Version 4.0 to 1,306.3 route kilometres, up from 834 RKm earlier. Previous installations include:
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Palwal–Mathura–Nagda (633 km) on the Delhi–Mumbai route
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Howrah–Bardhaman (105 km) on the Delhi–Howrah route
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Bajwa (Vadodara)–Ahmedabad (96 km) in Gujarat
The earlier single-day record of 324 RKm was set on the Kota–Mathura section of West Central Railway.
Northern Railway: Safety Boost on Delhi–Mumbai Corridor
Kavach 4.0 has been commissioned on the 35-km Tuglakabad Junction Cabin–Palwal section, part of the four-line Delhi–Mumbai route. The system covers station yards, two automatic signalling lines and two absolute block signalling lines.
This section is among the busiest corridors, carrying suburban, long-distance passenger and freight traffic. The deployment significantly enhances operational safety and reliability on Delhi’s suburban and long-haul rail network.
East Central Railway: Successful Kavach-Enabled Train Run
On East Central Railway, train operations with Kavach 4.0 commenced on the 93.3-km Manpur–Sarmatanr section. The first Kavach-enabled service, Train No. 13305 Sasaram Intercity Express, completed a successful run, including a live head-on collision test, where the system automatically applied brakes, validating its effectiveness.
Kavach is being installed over 4,235 route kilometres of East Central Railway, including critical stretches of the Delhi–Howrah trunk route, which is being upgraded under Mission Raftar for speeds up to 160 kmph.
Western Railway: First Kavach-Equipped Train from Mumbai
The 344-km Vadodara–Surat–Virar section of the Delhi–Mumbai route has now been commissioned with Kavach 4.0. The milestone was marked by Train No. 20907 Dadar–Bhuj Sayajinagri Express, which became the first Kavach-equipped train to operate from Mumbai.
Work is progressing rapidly on:
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Vadodara–Nagda section (target: March 2026)
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Virar–Mumbai Central section (target: September 2026)
So far, 364 locomotives on Western Railway have been equipped with Kavach, with sanctioned works covering 2,667 route kilometres under execution.
About Kavach 4.0
Kavach Version 4.0 is the most advanced iteration of India’s indigenous ATP system, approved by RDSO and certified by an Independent Safety Assessor (ISA) to meet SIL-4, the highest global safety standard.
The system integrates GPS, radio communication and onboard microprocessors to:
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Prevent Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD)
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Avoid head-on, rear-end and side collisions
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Control overspeeding
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Provide protection during low visibility and adverse weather
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Alert pilots during wrong-direction movements and at level crossings
Designed for India’s high-density, multi-line network, Kavach reduces dependence on imported technologies while strengthening the domestic signalling ecosystem.
With the latest commissioning, Indian Railways takes another decisive step toward safer, smarter and self-reliant rail operations, benefiting millions of passengers every day.
