Why in news? Kavach installations could have prevented collision between two passenger trains in southern India’s Vizianagaram district in Andhra Pradesh

Highlights:

• East Coast Railway indicated that ‘Kavach,’ was not installed on the route where Visakhapatnam-Palasa and Visakhapatnam-Rayagada trains collided.

What is Kavach?

• Kavach is a cab signalling train control system with anti-collision features
• It is an automatic train protection (ATP) system indigenously developed by Indian Railways through Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO)

How is the Kavach system deployed?

• Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is deployed in the track and uses radio waves to identify people or objects.
• It uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and read information contained in a wireless device from a distance without making physical contact or requiring a line of sight.
• The locomotive driver’s cabin is provided with RFID readers, computer, and brake interface equipment.
• Radio infrastructure like towers and modems are installed at railway stations.

How it will help in preventing accidents ?

• Kavach’ controls the speed of the train by automatic application of brakes in case the loco pilot fails to do so.
• It assists train operations during bad weather conditions and dense fog.
• Kavach mechanism can automatically apply brakes when needed, allowing better control of speed.