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07/06/23 07:11 AM IST

Railway kavach system

In News
  • The death of over 288 passengers in the ghastly train accident recently at Bahanaga Bazaar railway station in the Balasore district of Odisha has brought into sharp focus the safety mechanisms needed to prevent such tragedies.
Kavach System
  • The KAVACH is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) in collaboration with the Indian industry.
  • The trials were facilitated by the South Central Railway to achieve safety in train operations across Indian Railways.
  • It is a state-of-the-art electronic system with Safety Integrity Level-4 (SIL-4) standards.
  • It is meant to provide protection by preventing trains to pass the signal at Red (which marks danger) and avoid collision.
  • It activates the train’s braking system automatically if the driver fails to control the train as per speed restrictions.
  • In addition, it prevents the collision between two locomotives equipped with functional Kavach systems.
  • The system also relays SoS messages during emergency situations.
  • An added feature is the centralised live monitoring of train movements through the Network Monitor System.
  • ‘Kavach’ is one of the cheapest, SIL-4 certified technologies where the probability of error is 1 in 10,000 years.
Significance
  • Different nations and organizations have implemented various anti-collision systems for trains with the aim of improving safety and preventing collisions.
  • Automatic Train Protection (ATP) systems have been implemented in many countries worldwide to ensure the security of train operations.
  • The European Train Control System (ETCS) is a well-known standardized system used in Europe, which employs signaling, communication, and train control technology to achieve its goals.
  • Positive Train Control (PTC) is an ATP system primarily employed in the United States.
  • It utilizes GPS, wireless communication, and onboard computers to regulate and monitor train movements, aiming to prevent train-to-train collisions, derailments caused by excessive speed, and unauthorized train movement.
  • In the United Kingdom, the Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS) is deployed to prevent train collisions and overspeed incidents.
  • TPWS employs trackside transmitters and onboard receivers to regulate train speed and maintain speed limits.
  • Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) is a commonly used ATP system in North America and combines track circuits, signals, and centralized control to regulate train movement, monitor train positions, and avoid collisions.
Source- The Hindu

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