KAVACH installation on Mumbai’s Virar–Churchgate corridor reaches 50%, work likely to be completed by September

“The Virar–Churchgate corridor is one of the most intensively used suburban sections in the country. The implementation of KAVACH is a crucial safety intervention aimed at reducing human error and strengthening fail-safe operations,” said Vineeth Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer, Western Railway.

According to railway officers, the groundwork for the project is largely complete, and RSSI tower surveys across the corridor have been finished, with all 17 tower locations identified. Around 83 per cent of tower drawing approvals are in place, while the foundation work has crossed 80 per cent and tower erection stands at nearly 50 per cent. Station-level KAVACH and Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) installations are operational at six locations, accounting for 35.3 per cent progress.

Critical tracking components such as Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR)-based mapping and Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tagging, which enable precise train localisation and identification, have each achieved about 40 per cent completion. Optical fibre cable laying, the backbone of KAVACH’s communication network, has progressed beyond 60 per cent, while locomotive trials have been completed on 24 km of the corridor.

Railway officers stress that KAVACH is not a signalling system, but an automatic train protection layer designed to work alongside existing signalling infrastructure. Its primary function is to enforce safety by preventing collisions, speeding, and signal violations, rather than actively controlling train spacing.

“KAVACH does not replace signalling systems. It acts as an additional safety layer that continuously monitors train movement and intervenes only when safety limits are breached. In suburban operations, this improves reliability and consistency, allowing better utilisation of existing track capacity,” Abhishek said.

By enforcing safe braking curves and reducing dependence on manual responses during critical situations, KAVACH is expected to stabilise operations, minimise disruptions, and support denser suburban operations during peak hours without compromising safety, said an officer.