Indian Railways Invests ₹1,364 Crore to Enhance Safety and Technology
In a significant move to bolster safety and modernize its infrastructure, Indian Railways has greenlit multiple projects worth ₹1,364.45 crore. This funding aims to enhance safety, improve communication systems, and upgrade signalling infrastructure across various railway zones. Key initiatives include the installation of advanced Kavach technology on locomotives, expansions of optical fibre networks, and the transition from panel interlocking to electronic interlocking systems.
Kavach System Set for 232 Locomotives in Southern Railway
The Southern Railway will benefit from the installation of on-board Kavach systems on 232 locomotives, with funding amounting to ₹208.81 crore. This initiative is part of the overarching project titled “Provision of Kavach with Communication Backbone of Long-Term Evolution (LTE) on Balance Routes of Indian Railways (Umbrella Work 2024–25),” which has a total budget of ₹27,693 crore allocated under PH-33. As part of this project, a sub-allocation of ₹2,950 crore has been designated for Southern Railway.
Strengthening Communication Backbone in Northern Railway
In the Northern Railway, three key projects have been sanctioned to enhance the communication infrastructure, totaling ₹400.86 crore. This initiative falls under the broader project to strengthen and repair communication systems across Indian Railways, approved at a cost of ₹4,871 crore. The specific projects include the deployment of 2×48 fibre cables over 926.05 route km in Ambala Division for ₹115.74 crore, similar cables over 1,204 route km with associated Optical Fibre Communication (OFC) rooms in Delhi Division for ₹165.49 crore, and 2×48 fibre cables over 1,074 route km in the Lucknow Division for ₹119.63 crore. These enhancements are expected to significantly bolster capacity and reliability in communication systems essential for modern signalling and Kavach installations.
North Central Railway to Implement OFC for Kavach
Indian Railways has allocated ₹176.77 crore for the provision of 2×48 fibre OFC cables across 2,196 route kilometres in the North Central Railway. This project is also part of the communication backbone initiative and is supported by a sub-umbrella allocation of ₹200 crore. The deployment will cover areas in Prayagraj Division (1,016 km), Jhansi Division (709 km), and Agra Division (471 km), aiming to facilitate the effective operation of the Kavach technology and enhance communication services on high-density routes.
Electronic Interlocking Systems Approved in South Central Railway
In the South Central Railway, two projects have been authorized to replace panel interlocking systems with electronic versions for a total cost of ₹578.02 crore. These initiatives focus on modernizing signalling systems at 35 stations in the Guntakal Division for ₹426.82 crore and 14 stations in the Nanded Division for ₹151.20 crore. This modernization effort aims to increase safety, enhance signalling reliability, and reduce the need for manual intervention on critical high-density routes.
These extensive projects are part of Indian Railways’ commitment to modernize its operations focusing on safety, reliability, and capacity enhancement. The combined efforts will facilitate the deployment of Kavach technology, strengthen communication infrastructure, and upgrade signalling systems across essential railway routes. Such advancements are anticipated to improve operational efficiency and elevate safety in train operations across the network.
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