Northeast Frontier Railway to integrate ‘Kavach 4.0’ to develop train operations

Guwahati: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), which operates in the northeastern states and in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar, would soon integrate ‘Kavach 4.0’ to improve train operations, officials said here on Sunday.

The Indian Railways would adopt the successful implementation of Kavach 4.0, an indigenous advanced safety technology system, designed to enhance train operations across its network.

NFR Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that NFR being a part of the nation’s railway connectivity system, would be integrating this advanced technological system ‘Kavach 4.0’ soon, providing safer, more reliable, and efficient rail services within its jurisdiction.

He said that the “Kavach 4.0” is an enhanced comprehensive, technology-driven solution developed by Indian Railways to prevent accidents and ensure the smooth operation of trains, providing an additional layer of safety and control.

The system is capable of automatically applying brakes if the loco pilot fails to do so, as it displays real-time line-side signals in the driver’s cab, and provides continuous movement authority updates through radio-based communication, Sharma pointed out.

Other key features of the “Kavach 4.0” include automatic whistling at level crossing gates, direct locomotive-to-locomotive communication to prevent collisions, and an SOS function to alert authorities in case of emergencies.

The “Kavach 4.0” system is built upon several critical technological components, including Station Kavach, which receives information from Loco Kavach and signalling systems to guide the locomotive, and RFID tags, which are installed along the tracks at regular intervals and signal point to monitor the train’s location and direction.

The CPRO said that the Communication Backbone, consisting of optical fibre cables and communication towers along the track, ensures a seamless exchange of information between the locomotive and the station.

Additionally, Driver Machine Interface (DMI) provides Loco Pilots with essential information, such as signal aspects and movement authority, directly within the cab for quick decision-making.

The system incorporates advanced technologies like relay-based interlocking, UHF radio for signal communication, RFID for precise location tracking, GSM for secure communication, and GPS for accurate time synchronisation.

This integration of modern technology reflects the railway's commitment to adopting cutting-edge solutions to enhance railway safety and efficiency.

The implementation of Kavach 4.0 across 10,000 locomotives by Indian Railways is a broader initiative to modernise its infrastructure and improve safety standards.

By leveraging technology such as Kavach 4.0, the connectivity system would ensure smoother operations, minimising human error and most importantly preventing accidents.

Thus, this initiative is a significant step towards providing a safer journey environment for train passengers.

As the Kavach system has already been deployed on key routes within the Indian Railways network, hence the advanced 4.0 system with further replace the existing ones on a pilot project basis, the NFR spokesman said.