By: Iqbal Marazi
On 2 June 2023, three trains collided in Balasore District, in the state of Odisha in eastern India. The 12841 Shalimar MGR Chennai Central Coromandel Express entered the passing loop instead of the mainline near Bahanaga Bazar railway station at full speed with 128 km per hour and collided with a goods train. Due to the high speed of the Coromandel Express, its 21 coaches derailed and collided with the oncoming 12864 SMVT Bengaluru-Howrah SF Express on the adjacent track. A total of 288 people were killed and 1175 others were injured in the crash. The crash was India’s deadliest railway crash since the Ferozabad rail disaster in 1995 and the deadliest worldwide since the 2004 Sri Lanka tsunami train wreck.
KAVACH: Kavach (lit, ‘Armour’) is an Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system indigenously developed by Indian railways through Research Designs & Standards Organisations (RDSO). Kavach has been designed to assist locomotive pilots in avoiding signal passing at danger and overspeeding. Kavach also provides support for train operations during adverse weather conditions such as dense, fog etc. The key features of the Kavach system include automatic brake application in case the locomotive pilot fails to act, the provision of line side signal display in the cabin for improved visibility in foggy conditions at higher speeds, crossings, collision avoidance through direct loco to loco communication and inclusion of SOS feature to control trains in emergency situations. In simple words, Kavach alerts when a loco pilot jumps a signal ( Signal passed at danger) which leads train collisions.
FEATURES: Kavach is a cost-effective solution that has been certified with Safety Integrity Level 4 ( SIL 4) ensuring high safety standards with an incredibly low probability of error ( 1 in 10,000 years) Its implementation is part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Initiative, with plans to expand it to a network spanning 2000 kilometres by 2022-23. Kavach underwent successful trials covering a distance of 250 kilometres on the Lingampally- Vikarabad- Wadi and Vikarabad Bidar sections of the South Central railway. Kavach works on the principle of continuously updating the movement authority. The system offers collision avoidance by allowing direct communication between locomotives and enables the feature of SOS in case of any mishap control trains. Kavach helps to maintain the speed of the train with the automatic application of brakes in any odd situation.During the foggy weather and high speed, it repeats the line side signal in the cab and auto whistles at LC gates. The system comprises a number of electronic and RFID devices that are put in locomotives, tracks, the railway signalling system and each station at a distance of one kilometre. While a 4G LTE-based system is being developed, the system now uses ultra-high radio frequencies to connect with its components.
When a loco driver jumps a signal which is the main reason for train crashes, Kavach sends out a warning. When the system detects another train on the same line within a set distance, it instantly warns the loco pilot and controls the brakes. As part of the Mission Raftaar project of the Indian railways, the Kavach automatic protection system will be updated to handle 160 Km top speed.
After the tragic train mishap railways confirmed that Kavach was not available on that route. Amid the aftermath of the incident, it is clear that trains involved in the collision were not equipped with the Kavach system. Many are now arguing that Kavach would have prevented the accident. On the other hand, Rail Board Member Jaya Varma Sinha Said, even if the Kavach was active on the route the Coromandel triple train tragedy could not have been avoided. She said, if an obstacle or obstruction comes suddenly in front of a high-moving vehicle, no technology in the world would prevent an accident.
The author can be mailed at iqbalmarazi999@gmail.com
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