Indian Railways has given the green light to projects totaling Rs 1,364.45 crore aimed at bolstering safety, signaling, and communication infrastructure throughout its network. The approved initiatives encompass the implementation of Kavach on locomotives, expansion of the optical fiber cable network, and the transition from panel interlocking to electronic interlocking systems across different railway zones, as per the Railways Ministry. The indigenously-developed Kavach system serves to safeguard trains from signal passing at danger, excessive speed, and collisions, thereby playing a crucial role in operations within high-speed and high-density rail networks.
The latest round of sanctioned projects includes the provision of on-board Kavach equipment for 232 locomotives in the Southern Railway, costing Rs 208.81 crore. This forms part of a larger project for the provision of Kavach with a communication backbone of long-term evolution (LTE) on remaining routes of Indian Railways, with a total cost of Rs 27,693 crore. A sub-umbrella allocation of Rs 2,950 crore has been set aside for the Southern Railway under this program, with the current work entailing the installation of Kavach Version 4.0 equipment on locomotives.
Furthermore, Indian Railways has approved three itemized works in the Northern Railway amounting to a total of Rs 400.86 crore for fortifying communication backbone infrastructure. These endeavors are part of a distinct umbrella project sanctioned at a cost of Rs 4,871 crore. An allocation of Rs 871 crore has been earmarked for the Northern Railway to lay fiber cables along specific route kilometers in various divisions, aiming to boost the capacity and reliability of communication systems crucial for modern signaling and Kavach deployment.
In a similar vein, Indian Railways has given the green signal for the provision of optic fiber cables for Kavach on the North Central Railway, costing Rs 176.7699 crore, to bolster Kavach deployment and enhance communication infrastructure along high-density routes. Additionally, two itemized works in the South Central Railway have been sanctioned at a total cost of Rs 578.02 crore for the replacement of panel interlocking with electronic interlocking systems. A sub-umbrella allocation of Rs 1,857 crore has been designated for the South Central Railway to improve signaling reliability, minimize manual intervention, and enhance safety on high-density routes.
These projects are part of a broader initiative to modernize Indian Railways, emphasizing safety, reliability, and capacity enhancement. They are geared towards supporting Kavach deployment, reinforcing the communication backbone, and upgrading signaling systems along key routes, with the ultimate aim of boosting operational efficiency and ensuring safer train operations network-wide.
