Kavach 5.0: Evolved

Kavach 5.0 Announced: Union Minister for Railways announced Kavach 5.0, the next iteration of India’s indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system.

Building on Kavach 4.0: Kavach 4.0 is already being deployed across Indian Railways, and Kavach 5.0 aims to further enhance train safety.

Kavach System Overview: Kavach is designed to prevent train collisions by automatically applying brakes if the loco pilot fails to act. It uses RFID tags and optical fiber cables for train tracking and data transmission.

Mumbai Local Focus: Kavach 5.0 is specifically being developed with the Mumbai local train system in mind. Its development is projected to be completed by the end of December.

Increased Train Frequency: Kavach 5.0 aims to reduce the headway (time gap) between trains, potentially enabling a 30% increase in the number of train services. This would improve service frequency and accommodate more passengers.

Addressing Mumbai Local Demands: Implementation aims to improve infrastructure, technology, and trains.

Mumbai Infrastructure Upgrades: Projects worth approximately ₹17,000 crore are underway to improve Mumbai’s rail infrastructure.