Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed his appreciation for the sanctioned deployment of Kavach along 631 km of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) network, costing Rs 270 crore. This move is seen as a significant step in enhancing the state’s rail infrastructure. The Chief Minister highlighted the benefits of Kavach, emphasizing improved passenger safety, reduced accident risks, enhanced train operations, and increased reliability of rail services in Odisha.
The Kavach project, approved by Indian Railways, will cover crucial sections of the ECoR, including Baghuapal-Budhapank, Haridaspur-Paradeep, Khurda Road (KUR)-Balangir, Naupada-Gunupur, Lanjigarh Road-Junagarh, and Bobbili-Salur. This initiative is part of a broader effort by Indian Railways to implement Kavach, an Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system developed domestically to prevent signal passing at danger, over-speeding, and train collisions. The system, equipped with an LTE-based communication backbone, ensures continuous monitoring of train movements and automatic brake application when necessary, significantly enhancing operational safety.
The installation of Kavach on these railway sections is expected to elevate the safety standards of train operations by providing automatic train protection and collision avoidance capabilities. Moreover, Kavach will enable safer and more reliable train movements, especially during adverse weather conditions like dense fog, thereby improving service reliability and punctuality. This project is anticipated to benefit both passenger and freight train services in Odisha and neighboring regions covered by the East Coast Railway, aligning with Indian Railways’ objective to extend Kavach coverage on critical routes.
