HYDERABAD: 'Kavach', the indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, will be deployed across the entire rail network beginning with 2,000 km in the 2022-23 fiscal and will be rolled out in 4,000 to 5,000 km every subsequent year, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Friday.
'Kavach', which literally means armour, is being promoted by the Railways as the world's cheapest automatic train collision protection system.
Announced in the 2022 Union Budget as a part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, 2,000 km of rail network is planned to be brought under 'Kavach' for safety and capacity augmentation in 2022-23.
"In the budget, 2,000 km has been approved and in subsequent years 'Kavach' will be deployed in 4,000-5,000 km every year," Vaishnaw told reporters after inspecting the working of 'Kavach' between the Lingampalli-Vikarabad section of Secunderabad division, South Central Railway.
It is designed, developed and manufactured in India and will be deployed in India and exported to the world, he said.
So far, 'Kavach' has been deployed on over 1,098 route km and 65 locos in ongoing projects of the South Central Railway.
'Kavach' is designed to bring a train to a halt automatically when it notices another train on the same line within a prescribed distance.
Trains will also stop on their own when the digital system notices any manual error like "jumping" of the red signal or any other malfunction.
'Kavach' is developed by Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) in collaboration with Indian industry.