South Western Railway begins Kavach rollout on key stops: Know features, safety upgrades and routes covered
The South Western Railway (SWR) has begun a large-scale rollout of Kavach, a new RFID-based train protection system, to prevent collisions, control overspeeding, and improve visibility for trains across its busiest routes.
This marks one of the biggest safety upgrades ever undertaken on the Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Hubballi rail corridors.
Kavach brings several key changes:
Trains will automatically slow down or stop if the loco pilot misses a signal or if another train is too close.
RFID chips installed along the tracks will send real-time data to trains and control rooms.
Safety during fog, heavy rain, or low visibility improves because the system provides automated navigation cues.
Two RFID devices per km ensure backup, and if both fail, the train is forced to halt—adding another protection layer.
SWR plans to introduce Kavach across 3,692 km of track, with work already in progress on 1,568 km. The rollout is being carried out under two major programmes—Project Bengaluru and Project Hubballi—with an estimated investment of ₹1,744 crore. The first phase alone accounts for ₹600 crore.
Major Bengaluru-origin routes—including Bengaluru–Mysuru, Baiyappanahalli–Whitefield, Yeshwantpur–Dharmapuri, Tumakuru, Arsikere, and Jolarpet—are among the first to receive the upgrade.
Groundwork is also advancing quickly:
- Cable installation completed along 690 km under Project Bengaluru.
- LiDAR surveys are progressing for 790 km under Project Hubballi.
- Site surveys and soil testing completed across Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Hubballi for setting up communication towers.
Officials say that once fully operational, Kavach will make Karnataka’s railway network one of the safest in India, drastically reducing the chances of collisions and ensuring trains operate more reliably—even in difficult weather conditions.