Mumbai Local Train Upgrade: Western Railway to Roll Out Kavach System on All Suburban Trains the End of 2026

In the past few days, many train incidents have been reported. To curb this, the Western Railway plans to equip Mumbai Local Trains with the Indian Railways’ anti-collision system, known as ‘Kavach.’ The officials said that the Kavach system will be activated on the Mumbai Local trains by the end of 2026. This integration will be marked as a major boost to commuter safety on the busiest suburban rail networks. Kavach is a state-of-the-art electronic railway system - developed under the ‘Make in India’ program, reported Press Trust of India (PTI). This safety system is being installed on the Delhi-Mumbai and some other trunk routes as well.

Kavach is an Automatic Train Protection (aTP) System. It will automatically control the speed of the train, preventing the train from collision, and it will make sure that the operations are running smoothly, even if human error might pose a threat. PTI reported that the Kavach system will replace the Auxiliary Warning System (AWS), which is used as an onboard safety device, the Western Railway officials said. On the Western Line, more than 30 lakh people travel daily. The rail route runs 1400 services daily on the Churchgate-Virar-Dahanu segment. There are 110 electrical multiple units (EMUs) on this segment. For the railways, the safety of the passengers is the most important thing.

Speaking about the Kavach system, an official said AWS has an audible warning system. This system sends an alert to the driver about the aspect of the upcoming signal. Additional features include speed monitoring and braking assistance.

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The official focused on the point that the AWS panel in the motorman’s cab has an alarm, red, yellow, or blue lights, and a vigilance button. If the alarm rings, the motorman has four seconds to hit the button, or the brakes will activate and stay locked until the whole train stops. However, railway officials claim that the AWS frequently fails to stop important safety occurrences like signal jumping and Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD). According to the PTI report, they said that the AWS system's low automation and reliance on manual response lessen its ability to prevent such mishaps. "Kavach is better than the existing AWS, as it integrates advanced features designed to prevent collisions, manage train movements, and ensure adherence to signal systems," officials explained to educate the public about Kavach.

This Kavach system ensures real-time communication between trains. It helps in signalling stations and reducing human error. It will improve the operational efficiency.

A senior official hailed the initiative taken by the Western Railway and said that work on the Kavach transition has begun. All the locals on the suburban section of the Western Railway will be equipped with Kavach and will also have a mainline locomotive by the end of 2026.