Indian Railways to Expand Kavach Safety System, Introduce Hydrogen Trains and Bullet Trains by 2027
New Delhi, July 26: Indian Railways is set to rapidly expand its indigenous train protection system, Kavach, across the country. Anil Kumar Khandelwal, Member (Infrastructure) of the Railway Board, announced this at the Future Rail India 2024 conference organized by FICCI.
Expansion of Kavach
Khandelwal revealed that the final specifications for Kavach were finalized on July 16. The system has already been installed on over 1,400 kilometers of track and is being extended to 3,000 kilometers on the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah routes. Bids are invited for an additional 3,200 kilometers, with plans to cover 5,000 more kilometers soon.
Kavach is an Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system that automatically applies brakes if the loco pilot fails to do so, ensuring safety even in bad weather. It was first tested on passenger trains in February 2016 and adopted as a national system in July 2020.
Industry Participation
Khandelwal urged industries to participate in this safety initiative, noting that three companies have been approved for Kavach, with eight more under consideration.
Rail Safety and Infrastructure
The push for enhanced rail safety follows a tragic triple-train accident in Odisha’s Balasore last year. The newly established GatiShakti Directorate aims to streamline project planning and execution, increasing track laying from four kilometers per day to over 14 kilometers per day.
Freight Market and Environmental Sustainability
Indian Railways plans to increase its share of the country’s freight market to 35% by 2030-31. Environmental sustainability is also a focus, with the first hydrogen train set to roll out this year and plans for 50 by 2047.
High-Speed Rail
India’s first bullet train, part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad project, is expected to start running by 2027. Work on this corridor began in November 2021.
Contributions from BEML
Shantanu Roy, Chairman and Managing Director of BEML, highlighted the company’s contributions, including supplying over 20,000 coaches to the railways and 2,000 metro cars. BEML is set to deliver India’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train soon.
Doubts Revealed
Kavach -: Kavach is a safety system used by Indian Railways to prevent train accidents. It helps in stopping trains automatically if there is any danger ahead.
Hydrogen Trains -: Hydrogen trains run on hydrogen fuel instead of diesel or electricity. They are better for the environment because they only produce water and no harmful gases.
Bullet Trains -: Bullet trains are very fast trains that can travel at speeds much higher than regular trains. They are designed to reduce travel time between cities.
Railway Board -: The Railway Board is a group of people who make important decisions about Indian Railways. They plan and manage railway projects and operations.
Future Rail India 2024 conference -: This is a meeting where experts and leaders discuss the future plans and technologies for Indian Railways. They talk about how to make trains safer and faster.
Environmental Sustainability -: Environmental sustainability means using resources in a way that does not harm the environment. It includes using clean energy and reducing pollution.
Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train -: This is a high-speed train project that will connect Mumbai and Ahmedabad. It aims to make travel between these two cities much faster.
BEML -: BEML stands for Bharat Earth Movers Limited. It is an Indian company that makes equipment for railways, like trains and coaches.
Vande Bharat sleeper train -: The Vande Bharat sleeper train is a new type of train in India that will have sleeping facilities for passengers. It is designed for long-distance travel.