South Central Railway (SCR) on Sunday announced the successful completion of field trials of Kavach — the indigenous Automatic Train Protection system — across 487 route kilometres (Rkm), along with the commissioning of Automatic Block Signalling (ABS) over 479 Rkm during the 2025-26 financial year.
Field trials of Kavach version 4.0 exceeded the Railway Board’s target of 402 Rkm. The trials were conducted on the Kazipet-Peddampet (101 Rkm), Malkajgiri-Kamareddi (106 Rkm), Charlapalli-Raghunathpalli (79 Rkm), Guntakal-Raichur (120 Rkm), and Mudkhed-Parbhani (81 Rkm) sections. Locomotive-mounted Kavach trials were also successfully commissioned on these sections, according to an official release.
Similarly, the commissioning of ABS, aimed at enhancing section capacity, surpassed the Railway Board’s target of 357 Rkm. ABS has been commissioned on the Kazipet-Balharshah, Vijayawada-Duvvada, and Wadi-Renigunta sections, covering a total distance of 479 Rkm.
ABS is a system of train working in which the movement of trains is controlled by automatic stop signals. It allows multiple trains running in the same direction to follow each other safely without the risk of rear-end collisions.
The system helps reduce operational costs, enhance line capacity, and improve average train speeds. ABS is initially being commissioned on high-density and Grand Trunk routes within the SCR network.
General Manager Sanjay Kumar Srivastava complimented the Signal and Telecommunications wing for the record commissioning of ABS and completion of Kavach field trials, stating that railway safety continues to remain the top priority.
Meanwhile, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has inspected the new sample coaches developed with proposed interior design and colour schemes for the next-generation Amrit Bharat coaches at New Delhi station.
Published – April 06, 2026 09:32 am IST
