Mumbai Local News: Virar section becomes first on WR to get automatic train protection system ‘Kavach’

Reinforcing its unwavering commitment to passenger safety and operational excellence, Western Railway (WR) has commissioned KAVACH Version 4.0, the indigenously developed train protection system, for passenger services over the 344 km Virar–Surat–Vadodara section o­n January 30, 2026, a historic milestone was achieved with Train No. 20907, Dadar–Bhuj Sayajinagri Express, becoming the first KAVACH equipped train to run from Mumbai. This marks a significant step in the deployment of advanced safety technology over WR's Mumbai suburban network.

According to a press release issued by the Chief Public Relations Officer of WR, the KAVACH technology has been commissioned over 344 km of the Virar–Surat–Vadodara section. Over this corridor, KAVACH has been implemented covering 49 stations, supported by 57 radio communication towers, and about 700 km of optical fibre cable.

KAVACH acts as an additional layer of safety to minimize risks arising from human error by preventing signal passing at danger, over-speeding and collisions, while also enhancing operational safety during adverse weather and low-visibility conditions through features such as auto-whistling at level crossings and in-cab signal aspect repetition.

Western Railway had earlier commissioned the KAVACH system o­n the Vadodara–Ahmedabad section in December 2025. With the commissioning of the Virar–Vadodara section, a total of 435 route kilometres o­n Western Railway has been commissioned with KAVACH as o­n date.

Vineet further stated that KAVACH technology, developed indigenously by Indian Railways, is a technologically advanced and cost-effective safety solution, symbolising Atmanirbhar Bharat in railway safety systems.

In addition to the sections already commissioned, KAVACH works is progressing rapidly o­n several other sections of Western Railway covering 2667 route kilometres, at an approximate cost of ₹1435 crore. Apart from this, further works o­n 2476 route kilometres have been proposed for sanction, highlighting the scale and momentum of the programme. With phased execution underway, Western Railway is steadily moving towards extending KAVACH across its entire Broad Gauge network, reaffirming its long-term commitment to comprehensive rail safety enhancement.

With sustained progress in deploying advanced safety systems across its network, Western Railway continues to move decisively towards building a safer, more reliable and future-ready railway system for the nation.