Mumbai: In a major boost to commuter safety on one of the world’s busiest suburban rail networks, Western Railway is set to equip its Mumbai local trains with the indigenous anti-collision system Kavach by the end of next year, officials said on Sunday.
Kavach is a state-of-the-art electronic system developed under ‘Make in India’ initiative that is presently being installed on Delhi-Mumbai as well as some other trunk routes.
The indigenously designed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, which will automatically control the speed of trains, prevent collisions, and ensure safe operations even when human error might pose a threat, will replace the Auxiliary Warning System (AWS) presently used as an onboard safety device by Western Railway, officials said.
WR, which runs more than 1400 suburban services daily on the Churchgate-Virar-Dahanu segment with a fleet of 110 electrical multiple units (EMUs), has a daily ridership of over 30 lakh.
The AWS functional in all these suburban locals has an audible warning system that alerts the driver about the aspect of the upcoming signal along with additional features like speed monitoring and braking assistance, an official said.
“The AWS panel in the motorman’s cab has an alarm, a vigilance button, and red, yellow, or blue lights. If the alarm sounds, the motorman must press the button within four seconds, or the brakes will activate and stay locked until the train stops completely,” he said.
However, as per railway officials, the AWS often falls short in preventing critical safety incidents such as Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD) and signal jumping.
Its limited automation and reliance on manual response reduce its effectiveness in averting potential accidents, they added.
These officials said Kavach is better than the existing AWS since it integrates advanced features designed to prevent collisions, manage train movements, and ensure adherence to signal systems.
The system ensures real-time communication between trains and signalling stations, reducing human error and improving operational efficiency.