Indian Railways (IR) on Saturday, January 30, 2026 commissioned 472.3 route kilometres of Kavach Version 4.0 (Automatic Train Protection System) across three sections of its network. The sections are 344-km Vadodara–Virar on Western Railway(WR), 35-km Tuglakabad Junction Cabin–Palwal on Northern Railway (NR), and Manpur–Sarmatanr (93.3 km) on East Central Railway (ECR).
Earlier, IR had commissioned 324 RKM on the Kota–Mathura section of West Central Railway (WCR). With the latest addition, Kavach Version 4.0 has now been commissioned 1306.3 km across six zones -NR, NCR , WCR, WR, ECR and ER.
This included the Palwal–Mathura–Nagda section (633 RKm) of the Delhi–Mumbai route and the Howrah–Bardhaman section (105 RKm) of the Delhi–Howrah route. In addition, 96 Route Kilometres were commissioned in Gujarat, between Bajwa (Vadodara) and Ahmedabad section.
Five tests
During commissioning five tests were conducted to test the Kavach system’s efficacy. They were as follows:
Signal Passing at Danger(SPAD) Test: Loco Pilot tried to cross red signal to test Kavach, Kavach system stopped the loco before the signal.
Head on Collision Test: Two locos were put on the same line, Kavach system stopped locos well before the prescribed distance limit.
Rear End Collision Test: In this test, a scenario was created where the Loco started sliding backwards, Kavach system stopped Loco from moving backwards to avoid rear end collision.
Loop line overspeed Test: During the trial, loco entered loop line at a speed of 120 kmph in loop line, the Kavach system restricted the speed to 20 kmph.
Level Crossing Protection Test: In this test, a scenario was created where the LC gate was open, and the Kavach system successfully stopped the locomotive before it reached the level crossing.
WR
Western Railway has commissioned KAVACH Version 4.0, the indigenously developed train protection system, for passenger services over the 344 km Virar–Surat–Vadodara section. On 30th January, 2026 a historic milestone was achieved with Train No. 20907, Dadar–Bhuj Sayajinagri Express, becoming the first KAVACH equipped train to run from Mumbai.
Over this corridor, KAVACH has been implemented covering 49 stations, supported by 57 radio communication towers, and about 700 km of optical fibre cable.
NR
NR has installed Kavach on the 35-route km between Tughlakabad Junction Cabin (Delhi Area) and Palwal section. This is a four line section having 152 Main line Track Kms. Kavach has been installed on the complete stretch of this corridor comprising major station Yards, two main lines with Automatic Signalling system and two lines with Absolute Block signalling.
ECR
IR has also commenced train operations with Kavach 4.0 on the 93.3 km Manpur–Sarmatanr section of ECR. The first Kavach-enabled service, Train No. 13305 Sasaram Intercity Express, operated successfully on this section, departing Sone Nagar at 07:42 hrs and arriving at Manpur at 09:35 hrs.
Progress of Kavach 4.0 Implementation on East Central Railway
Kavach is being installed over 4,235 route kilometres of East Central Railway, including 417 route kilometres on the Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction–Manpur section, a critical part of the Delhi–Howrah trunk route passing through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. The section carries mixed traffic and is currently cleared for 130 kmph, with works in progress under Mission Raftar to enhance the speed potential to 160 kmph.
Progress of Kavach 4.0 Implementation on WR
Work on the Vadodara–Surat–Virar section on Delhi-Mumbai route commenced in January 2023, and on 30 January 2026, Kavach has been successfully commissioned on this 344-km section.
Work on the Vadodara–Nagda section is progressing at a fast pace and is expected to be commissioned by March 2026, while work on the Virar–Mumbai Central section is also progressing well and is targeted for completion by September 2026.
Simultaneously, Kavach installation on locomotives is advancing steadily, with 364 locomotives on Western Railway equipped with Kavach so far. In addition, works on several other sections of Western Railway have been sanctioned, covering a total of 2,667 Route Kilometres, with execution underway on all sanctioned sections.
Progress of Kavach 4.0 Implementation on NR
Indian Railways successfully commissioned Kavach 4.0 on the 35-km Tuglakabad Junction Cabin–Palwal section of the four-line Delhi–Mumbai route, which spans 152 main line track kilometres. Kavach has been installed in a complete stretch of this corridor comprising Major station Yards, two Main lines with Automatic Signaling system and two lines with Absolute Block signalling.
This commissioning marks a significant safety upgrade on one of the busiest and high-density corridors of the Indian Railways covering Delhi suburban and long-distance rail network. This section is a high-traffic stretch catering to passenger, suburban, and freight trains. Commissioning of Kavach on this section significantly enhances operational safety, reliability, and passenger confidence.
About Kavach
Kavach Version 4.0, the latest and most advanced iteration of India’s indigenous Automatic Train Protection system.
Approved by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), Kavach 4.0 is specifically designed to address the operational demands of India’s diverse, high-density and multi-line rail network, offering enhanced reliability, faster response, and seamless integration with existing signalling and interlocking systems. It is certified by an Independent Safety Assessor (ISA) to meet SIL-4 safety standards, the highest level of global safety integrity.
Kavach integrates microprocessors, Global Positioning System (GPS), and radio communication technologies to ensure safe train operations.
How it works
When another train is detected on the same track within a predefined distance, the system alerts the loco pilot and, if required, automatically applies brakes through onboard equipment.
Kavach provides automatic protection against Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD) and effectively prevents side, head-on, and rear-end collisions. It also continuously monitors and controls over speeding, ensuring safe operations even under low visibility and adverse weather conditions. In addition, the system generates alerts during wrong-direction and reverse movements and provides automatic information on level crossing gates.
