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The accident involving Kanchanjunga Express and a goods train in Darjeeling district, which claimed 10 lives, has brought to the fore once again the delay in installing Kavach, an indigenously developed automatic train protection system, across the country’s rail network.
Kavach
Kavach is a cab signaling train control system with anti-collision features developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in association with three Indian vendors.
It has been adopted as our National Automatic Train Protection (ATP) System.
It adheres to Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) standards and acts as a vigilant watchdog over the existing signaling system, alerting the loco pilot when approaching a 'red signal' and applying automatic brakes if necessary to prevent overshooting the signal.
The system also relays SoS messages during emergency situations.
It features centralized live monitoring of train movements through the Network Monitor System.
The Indian Railways Institute of Signal Engineering & Telecommunications (IRISET) in Secunderabad, Telangana hosts the 'Centre of Excellence' for Kavach.
The first field trials of Kavach began in February 2016, and the system was adopted nationally in July 2020
Within the Kavach setup, designated railway stations along the intended route for deployment consist of three essential components.
First Component: It involves the incorporation of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology into the tracks.
RFID employs radio waves to identify objects or individuals and utilizes electromagnetic fields to automatically read wireless device information from a distance without physical contact or line of sight.
Second Component: The locomotive, serving as the driver's cabin, is equipped with RFID readers, a computer, and brake interface equipment, comprising the second component.
Third Component: It encompasses radio infrastructure, such as towers and modems, strategically installed at railway stations to support the system's functionality.
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