Central Railway successfully conducted the Loco Trials of the indigenous "KAVACH" system in the Mumbai Division on 28th September 2025. The trials were carried out at Somatne, Apta, and Jite stations along the Panvel–Roha section.
First Zonal Railway to Complete Trials in All Divisions
Under the leadership of Dharam Veer Meena, General Manager of Central Railway, this milestone marks a significant achievement, making Central Railway the first Zonal Railway to complete Loco Trials of KAVACH across all five divisions within just six months of awarding the contract.
KAVACH Implementation Across Central Railway
Earlier this year, Central Railway became the first Zonal Railway to award tenders for KAVACH installation on its entire rail network of approximately 4,000 route kilometres, spanning five divisions (Mumbai, Bhusawal, Nagpur, Pune, and Solapur).
"After awarding tenders for KAVACH works in March 2025, the implementation was taken up in mission mode. Detailed radio and LIDAR surveys, technical approvals, equipment inspections, and supply were completed swiftly. Three priority stations per division were identified for installation after rigorous testing," said an official.
Training and Monitoring
Fitment of Onboard-KAVACH on locomotives was undertaken in Bhusawal and Kalyan loco sheds. Approximately 3,000 officers and staff have been trained in KAVACH operations, with testing, network monitoring, and training facilities established across all divisions.
Integrated Control Centres and Earlier Trials
The Integrated KAVACH Control Centre was inaugurated on 4th September 2025 at Bhusawal. Loco trials started on 10th September in the Solapur division, with subsequent trials conducted in Bhusawal, Pune, and Nagpur divisions.
What is KAVACH?
KAVACH is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection system designed to prevent collisions, including head-on and rear-end accidents, in case the train crew fails to stop. It also prevents Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD), controls train speed at restricted zones, provides onboard display of signal aspects, auto-whistles at level crossings, and includes SOS features.
Indian Railways is implementing KAVACH in mission mode, with 730 locomotives in Central Railway’s first phase scheduled for fitment. This initiative strengthens safety, operational efficiency, and passenger comfort.
