“KAVACH” – India’s own train protection system for enabling high speed Rail operations
Upgradation of track (easing out curves, eliminating road xings), and OHE have to be in place. Most important being elimination of large number of LCs, permanent speed restrictions, 2×25 kv OHE, boundary wall etc to ensure safety
On 4th March 2022 MR Mr Ashwini Vaishnav participated in KAVACH trial near Hyderabad, whose potential is at par with ETCS-2 of European Railways.
In 2003-2006 as chief safety officer NFR, I had commissioned the Anti collision Device developed by M/s Kernex with KRCL. It was a GPS based system and was supposed to provide protection when signalling system failed. Ultimately the scheme had to be abandoned after major short comings were found in the system.
KAVACH (earlier called Train collision avoidance system) is also a CAB BASED signalling system with KAVACH installed in stations, locos and other points using radio communication to talk to each other taking inputs from odometer in loco and RFID equipments provided on track and at level crossings (LCs).
RDSO has approved three firms viz M/S MEDHA, HBL and KERNEX (mentioned earlier) for providing KAVACH equipment. Tenders have been floated to provide Kavach cover in selected routes. Cost of KAVACH cover is currently coming around 40-50 lakhs per route KM. The locomotive KAVACH costs around 25/30 lakhs per loco.
Following points are noted –
1. Vulnerability of KAVACH to rogue road vehicle dashing past a closed LC gate and coming on tacks in train.(Remedy-eliminate LCs from high speed routes).
2. Stray cattle/fallen boulders coming on the track. (Remedy-erect boundary wall).
3. Radio communication failure in GHAT sections, tunnels etc. (Remedy-Special action to patch shadows).
4. The KAVACH will be effective 100% only if all self propelled vehicles (numbering around 15000 on IR) including besides locomotives MEMUs/EMUs, Tower wagons, etc moving in KAVACH territory are having KAVACH.
Presently only few hundreds of locomotives are being provided with KAVACH. Movement of Self propelled vehicles besides locos are not restricted by zonal or divisional boundaries. So It can’t be ensured that only self propelled vehicles provided with KAVACH shall ply in the KAVACH territory. Making the system vulnerable to an encounter between haves and have-nots.
5. Temporary and emergency caution orders will need to be fed manually on a real time basis into the system and a protocol for that will need to be devised.
6. Necessary changes in G&SR (the Railway’s own SOP for operations) will need to be incorporated.
7. Training of field staff.
Further it needs to be noted that KAVACH is only one of the component of the high speed Rail Operations ECO system.
Upgradation of track (easing out curves, eliminating road xings), and OHE have to be in place. Most important being elimination of large number of LCs, permanent speed restrictions, 2×25 kv OHE, boundary wall etc to ensure safety.
Commissioning of DFCs while decongesting the system is not expected to result in 100% segregation of Freight and coaching streams.
(The Author was the GM/ECR. He is currently Chairman of the Rail division of the Indian chapter of Institute of Mechanical Engineers. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy.)
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