1465 route km, anti-collision system Kavach deployed on 139 engines, work going on in main corridors

Indian Railways has also started preparatory work, which includes preparation of a survey, detailed project report (DPR) and detailed estimates on another 6000 RKM, the release said.

Currently, there are three Indian OEMs approved for the armour. Efforts are being made to develop more OEMs to increase the armor's capabilities and scale up implementation.

Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system. It is a highly technology-intensive system, requiring the highest level of security certification.

Kavach assists the loco pilot in applying automatic brakes in case of failure of the loco pilot in trains running within the specified speed limit and it also helps in running the train safely during inclement weather.

The first field trials on passenger trains were started in February 2016. Three firms were approved for armor supply in 2018-19 based on the experience gained and independent security assessment of the system by a third party (Independent Security Assessor: ISA).

Subsequently, Kavach was adopted as the national ATP system in July 2020.

There has been much debate about anti-collision systems in the wake of the horrific triple-train accident in Balasore, Odisha on June 2, which took the lives of nearly 300 passengers while nearly 1,000 were injured.