Railway Projects Launched ~ PARN HARIT

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated and laid foundation stones for railway infrastructure projects worth over ₹1,500 crore at Sabarmati Railway Station in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Key Project Highlights

1. India’s First LNG-Powered Train

Mechanism: Operates on a diesel-plus-LNG dual-fuel system, replacing up to 40% of standard diesel consumption with Liquefied Natural Gas.
Capacity & Route: Features 8 non-AC chair car coaches powered by two retrofitted 1,400 HP Driving Power Cars (DPCs). Initial service operates on the Sabarmati–Mahesana route.
Environmental Impact: Reduces fuel expenditure while lowering carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides ( $NO_x$ ), and particulate matter emissions.

2. WAG-12 Locomotive Maintenance Shed

Investment: Built at an estimated cost of ₹700 crore in Sabarmati.
Function: Serves as a primary maintenance hub for up to 300 heavy-haul WAG-12 high-horsepower (12,000 HP) electric locomotives.

3. Automatic Signalling & Safety Upgrades

Kavach System Implementation: Around ₹411 crore committed to install the indigenously developed Kavach ATP system across 404 km of track in the Ahmedabad Division (including the Ahmedabad–Palanpur and Ahmedabad–Samakhiali corridors).
Automatic Block Signalling: Deployed across 122.57 km (covering Sabarmati–Kalol–Bhandu Motidaur and Sabarmati–Sanand–Jakhwada sections) at a cost of ₹118.83 crore to optimize track capacity and train frequency.

4. Railway Line Doubling

Sabarmati–Sarkhej Doubling: A ₹313.27 crore project spanning 21 km (covering Sabarmati, Gandhigram, Vastrapur, and Sarkhej) to enhance freight and passenger connectivity toward the Dholera Special Investment Region. Target completion is set for March 2028.

Kavach (meaning "armor") is India's indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system. Developed by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), it prevents train collisions resulting from human error, signal overshoot, or speed violations.

Core Working Mechanism

Kavach forms a continuous loop of communication between track-side equipment, station equipment, and the locomotive cab using high-frequency Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radio waves and RFID technology.

[RFID Tags on Track] ---> [Loco RFID Reader]
                                 │
                                 ▼
[Station TCAS Unit] <──(UHF Radio)──> [Loco TCAS Unit]
  (Signal aspect data)                  (Brake Control System)

Track Positioning (RFID Tags): RFID tags are fitted along railway tracks at regular intervals (every 1 km, and near signals/turnouts). As the train passes over, an under-body RFID reader scans the tag to pinpoint the train's exact position, direction, and track segment.
Signal & Route Status (Station TCAS): Station premises house stationary Kavach units interfaced with local interlocking signalling systems. They continuously monitor track availability and signal aspects (red, yellow, green).
Continuous Data Exchange (UHF Radio Towers): Station units broadcast real-time movement authority to the train's on-board computer via track-side UHF radio towers.
Locomotive Control (Loco TCAS): The train’s central computer tracks speed, movement limits, and proximity to other equipped trains. If an anomaly is detected, it overrides manual controls to apply the brakes.

Key Safety Features & Functions

Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD) Protection: If a Loco Pilot misses a Red signal and fails to brake, Kavach triggers audio-visual alerts in the cab. If the driver does not respond, it automatically engages the emergency braking system.
Head-on & Rear-end Collision Prevention: If two Kavach-equipped trains end up on the same track heading toward each other (or approaching from behind), both onboard systems communicate directly. They calculate stopping distances and apply brakes automatically before impact.
Speed Limit Enforcement: Monitors speed restrictions dynamically based on curves, bridges, and track conditions. If a train exceeds the limit, Kavach automatically regulates or cuts power to lower the speed.
Auto-Whistling at Level Crossings: Uses GPS and RFID location tracking to activate the locomotive horn automatically when approaching road level crossings, helping drivers during poor visibility or heavy fog.
SOS Signal Broadcast: In the event of an derailment or emergency, the loco pilot or station master can trigger an SOS signal to halt all approaching trains within a 3 km radius.

PARN HARIT