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Kavach System: Indian Railways Misses Deadline Again
27 Dec
Summary
- Automatic train protection system Kavach installation missed its December 2025 deadline.
- Officials hope to operationalize the Kavach system by 2026.
- Significant progress reported, with 25% of work commissioned and components installed.
The Railway Ministry has failed to meet the December 2025 deadline for installing the Kavach automatic train protection system on the New Delhi-Mumbai and New Delhi-Howrah routes. Despite this setback, officials remain hopeful that the system will become operational by 2026. Significant progress has been made, with approximately 25% of the work commissioned and vital components installed on the remaining sections.
This advanced safety system, Kavach, is designed to assist loco pilots by automatically engaging brakes if train speed limits are exceeded. The Railway Minister previously indicated a March 2025 completion, later extended to December 2025. As of November 1, 2025, 738 Route km on the Delhi-Mumbai route and 105 Rkm on the Delhi-Howrah route had Kavach Version 4.0 commissioned.
Challenges include the need for more approved original equipment manufacturers, with current numbers over five but needing to exceed fifty for the vast 78,000 km network. Despite delays, the Ministry continues to deploy Kavach, with track-side equipment installed on 5672 route km and 4,154 locomotives equipped with Loco Kavach.
