Working with state govts, police, NIA to prevent train sabotage bids: Vaishnaw

Jaipur/SAWAI MADHOPUR: Union Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said that the railway administration is on high alert for potential attempts to sabotage trains. The minister stated that the Central government is treating security threats with the utmost seriousness and vowed that strict action will be taken against anyone who tries to undermine rail safety.

“This is our commitment,” he added.

Vaishnaw arrived here on Tuesday to inspect a Kavach-fitted train to check the efficiency of the automatic train protection system at Sawai Madhopur.

“There is dialogue going on with state governments, DGPs and home secretaries. The NIA is also involved. Strict action will be taken against anyone who tries to cause such an accident. This is our resolve,” he told reporters.

He also said the entire railway administration in divisions and zones was working with vigilance with the Railway Protection Force and local state police across the country.

Meanwhile, Indian Railways successfully implemented the indigenously developed Kavach 4.0 Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system on the 108-kilometre track between Sawai Madhopur and Kota, part of the West Central Railway on Tuesday. This state-of-the-art safety technology is now operational, making the route the first in India to benefit from the upgraded version of the Kavach system. Vaishnaw oversaw the trial run, marking the official launch of this advanced safety system. Kavach is an indigenous automatic train protection system designed to prevent accidents caused by human error, particularly in situations where train drivers may miss or overlook signals. It acts as an additional protective layer over the existing railway operation system, ensuring the safe operation of trains. The system provides real-time monitoring and automatic braking if there is a risk of collision. Kavach also enables safer operation of trains during poor visibility, such as fog, by providing in-cab signalling, which allows drivers to receive signal aspects directly inside the locomotive.

Collision Prevention: Kavach 4.0 detects potential head-on, rear-end, and side collisions between trains and automatically applies brakes to prevent accidents.

SPAD (Signal Passing at Danger) Prevention: The system eliminates incidents where trains pass through signals that display a stop (red) aspect.

Speed Control: Kavach continuously monitors train speed and issues alarms if the speed exceeds 2 km/h above the permitted limit. Automatic brakes are applied if the speed crosses 5 km/h, with emergency braking initiated if it goes beyond 9 km/h.

In-Cab Signalling: By transmitting signal aspects through radio waves directly to the train’s control panel, drivers can read signals without relying on trackside signals, making operations more efficient even in high-speed scenarios.

Continuous Driver Monitoring: The system monitors the driving profile based on upcoming signal aspects, track conditions, and the train’s braking capacity, ensuring the train operates within safe parameters. If deviations occur, automatic braking is triggered to bring the train to a safe stop.

The implementation of Kavach 4.0 in this section required the installation of 130 towers and over 1,200 kilometres of optical fibre cables (OFC). Additionally, 78 Kavach buildings, 178 signalling interfaces, and an MPLS network were constructed to support the system. A total of 87 locomotives, 130 station units, and 48 remote interface units have been integrated with the Kavach 4.0 system to ensure comprehensive coverage and functionality.

West Central Railway had earlier installed Kavach 3.2 on the 549-kilometre Mathura-Nagda section at a rate of 32 kilometre per month. The rapid installation of Kavach 4.0 on the Sawai Madhopur-Kota route within just two months showcases the commitment of Indian Railways to improving safety and operational efficiency.

Enhanced Safety: The system significantly reduces the risk of train accidents, providing an additional layer of safety in rail operations.

Operational Efficiency: Kavach ensures that trains adhere to their schedules with greater accuracy, improving overall punctuality.

Speed Regulation: Train speeds are automatically controlled, preventing dangerous overspeed situations.

Accident Prevention: The risk of accidents caused by SPAD is minimised, thanks to the real-time monitoring and automatic braking features.

With the successful implementation of Kavach 4.0, Indian Railways plans to extend the system to more routes across the country. The initiative is part of a broader effort to modernise rail safety and improve operational efficiency, ensuring that India’s railway network meets global safety standards.