Indian Railways Clears ₹170 Crore Kavach 4.0 Rollout Across Remaining 712 Rkm in Moradabad Division
Indian Railways has approved ₹170 crore for deploying Kavach Version 4.0 across the remaining 712 route kilometres (Rkm) of Northern Railway’s Moradabad Division, marking another expansion of India’s indigenous automatic train protection architecture. The approval was announced by the Ministry of Railways on September 1, 2026.
Indigenous Safety Technology Moves to Wider Network Coverage
Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system designed to add an automated safety layer to train operations. It can help prevent Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD), regulate train speed in critical situations and automatically apply brakes when required, thereby reducing the risk of unsafe train movements and collisions.
The Moradabad Division project is significant from an infrastructure-governance perspective because it extends Kavach 4.0 to the division’s remaining identified sections, integrating train-protection technology with the broader modernisation of railway signalling and operational safety systems. The approval however represents sanctioned deployment; it should not be interpreted as completed coverage across all 712 Rkm.
Governance Impact
The decision strengthens the policy focus on technology-led railway safety, indigenous engineering and modern signalling infrastructure. Kavach’s wider deployment can create a more technology-intensive operating environment in which critical train-control functions receive automated support. Indian Railways has been progressively expanding Kavach coverage across identified high-density and other sections, alongside upgrades to signalling, communications and locomotive equipment.
For the Moradabad Division, the ₹170-crore sanction therefore represents a targeted investment in railway safety infrastructure and digital train protection reinforcing the broader transition towards modern technology-enabled rail operations.
