Kavach 5.0 | 15 Apr 2025

Source: IE 

The Union Minister for Railways announced the implementation of Kavach 5.0, aimed at enhancing train safety. The current version, Kavach 4.0, is already under deployment across Indian Railways. 

Kavach System: 

• About: India’s indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, developed to prevent train collisions by automatically activating the braking system if the loco pilot fails to act. 
• Technology: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are placed throughout the entire track length to enable the Kavach system to track train positions. 
  • Optical Fibre Cable is laid along the tracks to ensure fast and efficient data transmission. 

Indian Railways: 

• India operates the world’s fourth-largest railway network, spanning over 65,000 kms, and is projected to account for 40% of global rail activity by 2050, highlighting its significance in sustainable transportation and mobility. 

Global Best Practices on Rail Safety: 

• The UK uses Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS), ETCS, and RAIB for signal protection, real-time control, and independent investigations.  
• Japan employs Automatic Train Control (ATC), CATIS for fault detection, and EEWS to stop trains during earthquakes.