New Delhi, April 6 (NationPress) Indian Railways has given the go-ahead for several initiatives totaling Rs 1,364.45 crore aimed at enhancing safety, signalling, and communication frameworks throughout its network, as stated in an official announcement on Monday.

The approved projects encompass the installation of the Kavach system on locomotives, the extension of the optical fibre cable network, and the upgrade from panel interlocking to electronic interlocking systems across various railway zones, according to the Ministry of Railways.

The indigenously-developed Kavach system serves as a safeguard for trains against signal passing at danger (SPAD), overspeeding, and potential collisions. This additional safety mechanism is crucial for operations on high-speed and high-density rail networks.

The latest round of sanctioned projects includes the installation of on-board Kavach equipment for 232 locomotives in Southern Railway, costing Rs 208.81 crore. This initiative is part of a larger project aimed at integrating Kavach with a long-term evolution (LTE) communication backbone, with an overall budget of Rs 27,693 crore.

Within this framework, a sub-umbrella allocation of Rs 2,950 crore has been designated for Southern Railway. The current project falls under this sub-umbrella, focusing on the installation of Kavach Version 4.0 equipment on locomotives.

Additionally, Indian Railways has approved three specific projects in Northern Railway, amounting to Rs 400.86 crore, aimed at fortifying communication infrastructure. These initiatives are part of a distinct umbrella project approved for Rs 4,871 crore.

A sub-umbrella allocation of Rs 871 crore has been set aside for Northern Railway to lay fibre cables over 926.05 route km in Ambala Division, along 1,204 route km with Optical Fiber Communication (OFC) rooms at stations in Delhi Division, and along 1,074 route km in Lucknow Division.

The goal of these initiatives is to bolster the capacity and reliability of communication systems across divisions, which are essential for modern signalling and Kavach implementation, as highlighted in the statement.

Furthermore, Indian Railways has sanctioned the provision of optical fibre cables for Kavach in North Central Railway, with a budget of Rs 176.77 crore, to facilitate Kavach deployment and enhance communication infrastructure on high-density routes.

In South Central Railway, two specific projects have been approved for replacing panel interlocking with electronic interlocking systems, costing a total of Rs 578.02 crore. A sub-umbrella allocation of Rs 1,857 crore has been approved for South Central Railway, which aims to improve signalling reliability, reduce manual intervention, and enhance safety on high-density routes.

All of these approved projects form part of a comprehensive strategy to modernize Indian Railways, focusing on safety, reliability, and capacity enhancement. They will facilitate the deployment of Kavach, strengthen communication systems, and upgrade signalling across key routes.

These efforts are expected to boost operational efficiency and ensure safer train operations throughout the network, the statement concluded.