A horrific train collision near Odisha’s Bahanaga railway station has claimed 261 lives and left over 9,000 injured. Indian Railways spokesperson Amitabh Sharma disclosed that the train route lacked the Kavach system, a vital safety measure.
Kavach, an indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation, helps prevent Signal Passing At Danger (SPAD) and overspeeding. By automatically applying brakes if the driver fails to do so, Kavach aids locomotive pilots in controlling train speed. It also facilitates safe operations during inclement weather and prevents collisions through loco-to-loco communication. The system employs high-frequency radio communication and RFID tags for tracking identification. This tragedy emphasizes the urgent need for implementing advanced safety systems like Kavach across the Indian railway network to prevent such devastating accidents.