Concern over safety as only 25% of SCR routes are under Kavach

Hyderabad: The recent spate of train collisions has raised concerns about the railway's Kavach system. The automated train protection system covers only 25 per cent (555 km) of Telangana under the South Central Railways (SCR). The other sections in Telangana, such as the Secunderabad-Raichur and Vijayawada-Kazipet-Balharshah sections, remain uncovered by Kavach.

As per the SCR data, the Kavach system has been deployed across 1,465 route kilometers (Rkms) in the entire SCR zone.

This includes 555 Rkms in Telangana (out of a total of 2,014 Rkms in the State), 129 Rkms in Andhra Pradesh, 132 Rkms in Karnataka, and 576 Rkms in Maharashtra. There are plans to extend Kavach to other zones in a phased manner. Additionally, the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system has been installed in 159 locos and at 136 stations.

Railway analysts have pointed out that only 25 per cent of the rail network in Telangana is equipped with the Kavach system, raising concerns about the safety of other sections.

The most critical section, the Vijayawada-Balharshah route, sees numerous trains daily yet remains uncovered by Kavach. Other busy sections needing immediate implementation of the Kavach system include Vijayawada-Vishakapatnam, Chennai-Vijayawada, Guntakal-Hubli, Nizamabad-Manmad, and Secunderabad-Raichur, all of which accommodate high-speed trains. Moreover, there is a significant manpower shortage for handling the Kavach system, especially for crucial safety-related activities such as locomotive pilots, station masters, and track maintainers. Approximately 15,000 posts are vacant across the SCR limits.

K Sivakumar, Joint Zonal Secretary, All India Retired Railwaymen's Federation (AIRRF), said, “In Telangana, only 25 per cent of the rail network is secured with the Kavach system.

What about the remaining sections? The sections like Dharmabad-Kacheguda-Alampur Road, Sanathnagar-Wadi, and Vikarabad-Matalkaunta, which have the system installed, see limited train traffic, mostly goods trains. The Vijayawada-Balharshah section, the main line of SCR, is in need of the Kavach system, as does the Secunderabad-Kaziguda route.

Furthermore, to maintain and handle this system, the railway must fill vacant posts. Any issues in maintenance could disrupt train operations, leading to derailments and other serious problems.”