GUNTUR: In a major step to improve railway safety, Indian Railways is set to implement the advanced ‘Kavach’ automatic train protection system across the Guntur Railway Division.
Indigenously developed and approved by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), Kavach is designed to prevent collisions by automatically applying brakes in cases of signal overshoots or when two trains are on a collision course. The system serves as a digital safety shield, particularly crucial in case of low visibility or driver error.
“If a train fails to stop at a red signal or is at risk of a head-on collision, the system overrides manual controls and halts the train,” Guntur Divisional Railway Manager Sudeshna Sen told TNIE.
The DRM said that the Kavach project had been sanctioned across various divisions under the South Central Railway, covering 1,570 km with an investment of Rs 460 crore.
In Phase I, the Rs 98.16 crore project will cover four key routes: Nandyal–Guntur (256.98 km), Guntur–Nadikudi (95.25 km), Nadikudi–Bibinagar (152.69 km) and Guntur–Krishna Canal (27.12 km). The total coverage will be 532.04 km.
As part of the groundwork, optical fiber cables will be laid along tracks, telecom towers will be installed, and data centres will be integrated with the existing signaling network. Trains will also be equipped with onboard Kavach devices for real-time monitoring and emergency control.
The project is part of Indian Railways’ broader modernisation push and is expected to significantly boost passenger safety and operational efficiency.