Indian Railways has approved a ₹206 crore project to deploy its indigenous Kavach version 4.0 on 680 route kilometres of the Northern railway network, according to the Ministry of Railways. The system will be installed on the Rewari-Delhi and Shakurbasti-Bathinda sections, including feeder branch lines, of the Delhi division, Northern Railway. As reported by the ministry, this project forms part of Indian Railways' ongoing nationwide rollout of Kavach, aimed at expanding the indigenous safety system across high-density and strategically important routes.
Kavach is India's indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system designed to enhance railway safety by preventing Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) incidents and train collisions. According to the ministry statement, the system automatically applies a train's brakes if the driver overshoots a signal at danger or if another train is detected on the same track. The system is designed to achieve 'zero accidents' and represents a significant advancement in railway safety technology.
As of March 2026, Kavach had been installed on 3,103 route kilometres, while work was underway across another 24,427 route kilometres, according to the Railways. As reported by the ministry, Kavach is commissioned on only about 4.4 per cent of the network, which spans nearly 70,000 route kilometres. The rollout has accelerated with Kavach 4.0, primarily on high-density and high-utilisation corridors, including sections of the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah routes.
The newly approved 680-km Northern railway project will add to the wider expansion of Kavach deployment across India's railway network. According to the ministry, the system will be installed on high-density and strategically important routes to enhance safety and reliability of train operations. The approval does not mean the system is already operational on these routes, as the deployment process requires additional implementation phases before full operational status is achieved.
