Indian Railways, having missed the second deadline of December 2025, is now hopeful of operationalising its indigenous automatic train protection system Kavach on the high‑density corridors linking Delhi with Mumbai and Howrah sometime in 2026.
Kavach, developed by Indian Railways, is an Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system that helps loco pilots run trains within prescribed speed limits by automatically applying brakes if drivers fail to adhere to signals or speed restrictions.
Railway officials describe it as a critical safety tool, particularly for routes with heavy traffic. As things stand, 25 per cent of the work on these sections has been commissioned and is in ready‑to‑use condition.
On the remaining 75 per cent of the network, officials say the major components have already been installed.
“We are doing our level best to operationalise Kavach on the Mumbai‑Delhi and Delhi‑Kolkata route, hoping that it will be achieved in 2026,” officials told India Today, reflecting cautious confidence after delays.
Originally, the Ministry of Railways had pegged March 2025 as the deadline for completing Kavach on these critical routes.
That target was first extended to December 2025 in a February 2025 budget document titled Railways estimates for Revised Estimates 2024‑25 and Budget Estimates 2025‑26. The Ministry had hoped this additional time would push the project over the line.
When Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw updated Parliament on the progress in December 2025, it became clear that while work has moved forward, the system is yet to be fully commissioned across all sections of the corridors.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha on December 17, Vaishnaw said that after extensive testing, “Kavach Version 4.0 has been successfully commissioned on 738 Route km on Palwal‑Mathura‑Nagda section (633 Rkm) on Delhi‑Mumbai route and Howrah‑Bardhaman section (105 Rkm) on Delhi‑Howrah route.”
He added, “Kavach implementation has been taken up in balance sections of Delhi‑Mumbai and Delhi‑Howrah corridors.” This means the work has begun on the rest of the corridors, but full commissioning is still pending.
The minister also shared details on progress across various components.
Optical fibre cable has been laid on 7,129 km, 800 telecom towers have been installed, Station Kavach systems are in place at 860 stations, track‑side equipment covers 5,672 route km, and Loco Kavach has been fitted on 4,154 locomotives.
Experts note that as train operations have increased across the network, technical safety aids are essential to reduce the risk of human error. Kavach’s journey began nearly a decade ago.
The first field trials on passenger trains were conducted in February 2016, and by July 2020, the system was officially adopted as the national ATP standard. The ministry has also pointed to prior experience.
A version 3.2 trial was carried out on 1,465 route km in the South Central Railway zone, and that, officials say, informed the development and rollout of Kavach 4.0, which was launched on July 16, 2024.
“Kavach version 4.0 covers all the major features required for the diverse railway network. This is a milestone in safety for Indian Railways. Within a short period, IR has developed, tested and started deploying the Automatic Train Protection System,” Vaishnaw told Parliament.
Work isn’t limited to the Golden Quadrilateral and diagonal routes.
Vaishnaw also noted that track‑side Kavach installation has been taken up on 15,512 route km covering Golden Quadrilateral, Golden Diagonal, High Density Network and other identified sections of Indian Railways.
At the same time, tenders have been floated to equip another 9,069 locomotives with Kavach 4.0, which is being done in a phased manner.
Officials say scaling capacity has been one of the constraints. Initially, only three companies were approved to install Kavach. That number has now risen to more than five, and Railway officials expect it “in 2026 it may cross 20.”
But even with this increase, more firms are needed. India’s broad‑gauge network stretches 78,000 km, and continued expansion means Kavach installation must keep pace.
“Indian Railways needs more than 50 original equipment manufacturers to expedite the installation process, as the broad‑gauge network is 78,000 km long and will continue to expand with new areas being added to the rail network,” officials said.