In a significant step towards strengthening safety in train operations, Western Railway successfully commissioned the Kavach 4.0 system on the Vadodara–Nagda section on 30th March, 2026. On this occasion, the General Manager of Western Railway, Shri Pradeep Kumar, flagged off a Kavach-enabled special train from Vadodara station.

With this milestone, out of the total 693 route kilometers identified under Western Railway on the Mumbai–New Delhi main corridor as part of Mission Raftaar, Kavach has now been installed on 559.5 route kilometers, covering the majority of the route.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Pradeep Kumar, GM/WR stated that under Vadodara–Nagda section, Kavach has been successfully commissioned over a total of 224.51 route kilometers, comprising Vadodara to Mangal Mahudi (122.5 Rkm) and Panchpipliya to Nagda (102.01 Rkm). Work on the remaining Mangal Mahudi–Panchpipliya section is in progress and is expected to be completed soon along with automatic signalling.

During the financial year 2025–26,Western Railway has commissioned Kavach over a total of 659.5 route kilometers. Earlier, in January 2026, Vadodara Division had operationalized the Kavach system on the Vadodara–Virar section, and now the system has been extended up to Nagda via Godhra.

Kavach is an advanced train protection system designed to enhance safety by minimizing the risk of human error. It acts as an additional safety layer to prevent accidents caused due to Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD).

The execution of this complex project on the Vadodara–Nagda section involved meticulous planning for each station and every absolute/automatic signalling section. Over 6,000 RFID tags were programmed and installed along the tracks. Continuous radio communication was established among 26 stations, 13 block sections, and locomotives. A total of 39 radio towers along with associated equipment were installed. Approximately 600 km of OFC cable was laid in both Up and Down directions across the route. Additionally, Kavach equipment was installed at all stations, block sections, and level crossing gates, and integrated with the existing signalling system. Locomotives were also equipped with Kavach devices, followed by successful trials and testing of the entire system.

Compared to its European counterparts such as ETCS, the Kavach system is significantly more cost-effective. So far, Kavach has been installed in WAP-7, WAG-9, and WAP-5 locomotives, with plans to extend it to other locomotive classes soon. A total of 364 locomotives on Western Railway have already been equipped with Kavach.

Western Railway remains committed to adopting modern, indigenous technologies to build a safe, efficient, and future-ready railway network.

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