Indian Railways rolls out KAVACH 4.0 safety system for 1st time in Hyderabad division
Indian Railways has achieved a significant milestone with the successful commissioning of the latest KAVACH Version 4.0 enhanced safety system for the first time on South Central Railway (SCR), according to an official statement issued on Wednesday.
New Delhi: Indian Railways has achieved a significant milestone with the successful commissioning of the latest KAVACH Version 4.0 enhanced safety system for the first time on South Central Railway (SCR), according to an official statement issued on Wednesday.
The upgradation from KAVACH Version 3.2 to Version 4.0 has been successfully completed over 108 kilometres on the Malkajgiri-Kamareddi section of Hyderabad Division.
The state-of-the-art version incorporates further technological improvements based on the experience gained from the deployment of KAVACH Version 3.2 over 1,465 kilometres on South Central Railway.
KAVACH 4.0 brings greater safety, advanced technology, higher reliability and safer train operations, and is planned for large-scale deployment across Indian Railways, the statement said.
KAVACH 4.0 has been developed, tested and is now being deployed by Indian Railways as an Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system. The latest version incorporates major improvements required to cater to the diverse operational and technological requirements of the Indian Railways network.
Key improvements in KAVACH 4.0 include increased location accuracy, enabling more precise train positioning; improved information of signal aspects in bigger yards, strengthening situational awareness during train operations.
It also provides station-to-station KAVACH interface through Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) for enhanced communication and system integration as well as direct interface with existing Electronic Interlocking Systems, enabling improved integration with signalling infrastructure.
KAVACH is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection system designed to enhance operational safety. The system assists the loco pilot in maintaining trains within prescribed speed limits and can automatically apply brakes when required if the loco pilot fails to do so.
KAVACH is designed to help prevent Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD), control train speed in critical situations, and reduce the risk of collisions. The system also supports safer train operations during inclement weather conditions.
As a highly technology-intensive safety system, KAVACH requires safety certification of the highest order, Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL-4).
Implementation of KAVACH involves deployment of multiple technological and communication components across railway sections. These include installation of KAVACH at stations and block sections, installation of RFID tags throughout the track length, installation of telecommunication towers throughout the section and laying of optical fibre cable along the track. Besides, Loco KAVACH has to be installed on locomotives operating on Indian Railways, the statement added.
