Indian Railways plans new tenders for Kavach set up

Indian Railways will problem tenders for the set up of Kavach – the indigenously developed anti-train collision system – throughout 10,000 km. Tenders might be floated in a phase-wise method, throughout two–to–three phases, senior officers conscious of developments instructed businessline.

• Additionally learn: Railways to improve Kavach to LTE; formal rollout doubtless in 12-15 months

New distributors are additionally to be on-boarded for rushing up the system set up course of and two corporations -Quadrant Future Tech (which is finishing up trails), and Seimens – are being thought of.

Current distributors embody Kernex, Medha, HBL PowerSystems, amongst others.

“We might be issuing tenders for 10,000 Rkms, in a phase-wise method…. most likely in two or three phases. Proper now tenders cowl 6000 kms of which 3000 Rkms are by way of. Evaluate work is under-way,” the official mentioned.

All tenders might be on the LTE (long-term evolution), that’s 4G community. KEC Worldwide is already putting in Kavach alongside 117 Rkms (17 Rkm already carried out).

Present Kavach tenders have been awarded for the Delhi–Mumbai & Delhi–Howrah corridors (roughly 3,000 Route km) and the work is on. Indian Railways has additionally taken up preparatory work together with survey, Detailed Venture Report (DPR) and preparation of detailed estimates on one other 6,000 Rkm.

The price for the availability of trackside, together with station tools of Kavach, is roughly ₹50 lakh per km and the fee for the availability of Kavach tools on a loco is ₹70 lakh per loco.

The budgetary allocation for Kavach, in FY24, was ₹710 crore and within the FY25 Interim Funds, it’s almost ₹560 crore.

In keeping with Sajai Kumar, CMD, RailTel, tenders are anticipated within the subsequent two to 3 months.

• Additionally learn: RailTel shares: Valuation ‘Kavach’ means, this Vande Bharat Categorical must take a breather

Talking at a post-results investor name, Kumar mentioned, “they (Quadrant) have developed this product, KAVACH, which is compliant not solely to the prevailing deployment specs, however to the newest requirements, that are 4G compliant. Earlier KAVACH was not 4G compliant. And the POC (proof-of-concept) testing is underway. We now have already determined to affiliate with them….however we expect that within the subsequent perhaps two to 3 months, the tenders will come and we are going to compete in these.”

Implementation in present routes

Earlier this 12 months, Jap Railway officers mentioned they have been implementing Kavach within the Howrah–Chhota Ambana part (260 route km) on the Howrah–New Delhi Grand Chord route. On this part, about 150 route km of Kavach work out of 260 route km has been put in and trials have already been performed. Within the Howrah to Mankar part together with Barddhaman, numerous infrastructures have been put in and the work is in superior stage from the Mankar to Waria part. The Tower basis, Kavach constructing and OFC connectivity are in progress between Waria and Chhota Ambana. Round 46 locomotives of ER have the anti-train collision prevention units put in.

Beforehand, the North Western Railway (NWR) – masking States like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana – awarded tenders value ₹426 crore on 1,600 km throughout the zone. The focused completion is in 2025.

Round 1,465 Rkm within the South Central Railways have already got the Kavach system.

The primary subject trials of Kavach o­n the passenger trains began in February 2016. Based mostly o­n the expertise gained and the Impartial Security Evaluation of the system by a 3rd Occasion (Impartial Security Assessor), three corporations have been authorized in 2018-19, for the provision of Kavach. Subsequently, Kavach was adopted as a Nationwide ATP system in July 2020.