Kavach rollout may take 15 years; not the 'cure’ for all rail accidents: HBL Power Systems

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The complete installation of the Kavach anti-collision system will take around 15 years across the Indian Railways, says A. J. Prasad, Chairman and Managing Director of HBL Power Systems, which is one of the private companies partnering with the railway ministry in Kavach rollout.

However, the government expects the Kavach installation to be completed by 2028 and has prioritised the rollout on Golden Quadrilateral with heavy-density routes including Delhi-Kolkata and Delhi-Mumbai being currently fortified with Kavach. Prasad expects these 3,000-kilometre stretches to be completed by the end of 2024.

Kavach, which means armour in Hindi, is the Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) developed by Indian Railways with the Research Designs and Standards Organisation. Costing around Rs 50 lakh per kilometre, it automatically triggers train brakes without the intervention of the driver in case of a collision threat.

The locomotives, stations, and tracks before and after the stations need to be installed with this set-up. This is helpful in case two trains are on the same track or if the driver is unable to see because of fog, says Prasad.

Odisha train accident

As the Central Bureau of Investigation begins a probe into the Odisha train accident, Prasad says, “At least three things should go wrong simultaneously for such a big accident to occur.”

Kavach is not enough, interlocking and monitoring systems are also required to ensure security. “You should not look at Kavach as the cure for all accidents,” he says.

The Electronic Interlock System, which has replaced the old manual relay interlock, prevents the station master from setting the wrong routes and making other errors. This is all the more relevant at stations with multiple lines and tracks.

For a highly populated country like ours, Prasad believes the Indian Railways is quite efficient when compared to international standards.

Developed countries have privatised railways despite handling relatively smaller amounts of traffic. However, this increases costs for commuters whereas the government administration and development, though slow, is the best way forward for India, he opines.