Indian Railways Approves Kavach Version 4.0 Deployment in Izzatnagar Division

Indian Railways has approved the deployment of Kavach Version 4.0 across 660 route km of the Izzatnagar Division under North Eastern Railway, at an estimated cost of ₹295 crore on 12th August, 2026. The project falls under a larger initiative to extend Kavach with LTE-based communication across the remaining sections of Indian Railways, and is aimed at strengthening train safety infrastructure in the region.

Kavach Version 4.0 Operational Features

1. Kavach works through a mix of core safety functions. It prevents collisions by automatically braking when two trains are detected on the same track, and protects against SPAD incidents if a pilot happens to miss a stop signal. 
2. It also regulates speed by applying brakes if a locomotive crosses the permitted limit for that section, and provides in-cab signalling so pilots get real-time signal information directly inside the cabin. 
3. During dense fog or low-visibility conditions, Kavach allows trains to safely run at their maximum permitted speed. 
4. The system runs on infrastructure that includes optical fibre cables, trackside RFID tags, telecom towers, and onboard locomotive devices.

Izzatnagar Division Railway Coverage

The approved Kavach 4.0 installation will cover 53 stations across the Izzatnagar Division, spanning the Kasganj-Izzatnagar, Izzatnagar-Kathgodam, and Bhojipura-Tanakpur routes. The Izzatnagar Division operates under North Eastern Railway, one of Indian Railways' 18 railway zones, covering parts of Uttar Pradesh and nearby rail sections.

About Kavach: Automatic Train Protection (ATP) System

1. Kavach is India's indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection system, originally known as the Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS). 
2. It was built to achieve zero rail accidents by removing risks caused by human error, poor visibility, or operational lapses.
3. The system continuously monitors train movements and applies brakes automatically whenever needed, helping prevent both collisions and Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) incidents.
4. Kavach has been certified at Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL-4), putting it on par with top European railway safety standards, and it was developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) along with Indian companies like Medha Servo Drives, Kernex Microsystems, and HBL Power Systems. 
5. Notably, it costs around ₹50 lakh per kilometre, far cheaper than similar global systems that average about ₹2 crore per kilometre.