Prayagraj,

14 Feb (HS): Under the efficient guidance of General Manager Naresh Pal Singh,

North Central Railway has achieved another historic milestone in the field of

rail safety. Successful trials of the indigenous Automatic Train Protection

(ATP) system, 'KAVACH', are being conducted at a high speed of 160 kmph on the

Dadri–Tundla section of the Prayagraj Division.

A

significant phase of this trial series was completed today, involving a

20-coach Vande Bharat Express rake. The performance of the system was evaluated

under high-speed operating conditions, yielding precise results in speed

supervision and automatic braking intervention at 160 kmph. Following the

successful trials with the Vande Bharat rake, the system will now be tested

with conventional coach compositions. Detailed trials are scheduled for

February 16, 17, and 18 using WAP-5 and WAP-7 electric locomotives.

These

trials are being conducted under an Independent Safety Audit (ISA) in the

presence of the Italian safety assessment agency, ITALCERTIFER. The testing

focused on several critical operational and safety parameters:

Kulwa

Loop Line Speed Control Test: Automatically controlling the train's speed

within safe limits while entering the station's loop line.

SPAD

Prevention: Verifying the system's effectiveness in preventing 'Signal Passing

At Danger' (SPAD) incidents.

Failure

Scenarios: Testing the system's response under challenging conditions such as

station-to-station and loco communication failures, and the absence of RFID

tags.

Auto-Whistling:

Evaluating the automatic whistling feature at level crossing gates.

The

objective of these comprehensive trials is to ensure the highest global safety

standards before the full-scale implementation of the system. Upon the

successful completion of all necessary tests and approvals, regular operations

of KAVACH-equipped trains on this section are planned to commence at the

earliest. This technology will not only prevent accidents caused by human error

but will also prove to be a milestone in ensuring the safe and punctual

operation of trains during dense fog and adverse weather conditions.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi