Kavach
India's Indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) System
Kavach (earlier called the Train Collision Avoidance System, TCAS) is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection system, developed by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) with Indian vendors, designed to prevent train collisions caused by Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) events and to automatically enforce speed limits.
- Achieves Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) certification — the highest safety-assurance grade, indicating a probability of roughly one error in 10,000 years of operation, and is cited as one of the world's most cost-effective SIL-4 certified train protection systems
- Comprises three components: trackside RFID tags and equipment, onboard locomotive units, and radio/optical-fibre communication infrastructure enabling continuous loco-to-loco and loco-to-station communication
- Automatically applies brakes if a loco pilot passes a red signal or exceeds the permitted speed, and assists operation in low-visibility conditions such as dense fog
- Version 4.0 (approved after RDSO testing around mid-2024) upgrades on earlier versions with greater location accuracy, improved recognition of signal aspects in complex yards, station-to-station communication over optical fibre, and direct interfacing with electronic interlocking systems
● Tracked since March 12, 2026 · last seen September 20, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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