HYDERABAD (Metro Rail News): Ericsson and HBL Engineering (HBL) have integrated Kavach 4.0, India’s indigenous SIL-4 certified Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, with a 5G Standalone (5G SA) network at HBL’s research and development laboratory in Hyderabad. The two companies said the exercise validated interoperability between the train protection system and 5G SA, a first step in assessing how 5G could carry safety-critical railway traffic as the sector moves toward the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS), the 5G-based successor to GSM-R.
The integration was carried out in a laboratory environment and not on an operational railway section. It combines HBL’s Kavach 4.0 equipment with Ericsson’s 5G SA network capabilities, allowing both companies to test how the two systems work together before any field evaluation.
What Kavach 4.0 Brings to Mainline Operations
Kavach 4.0 is designed to improve safety and support higher speeds on mainline routes as traffic density and operational complexity increase. Its key functions include:
- Prevention of Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD) incidents and collisions through continuous supervision of train movement
- Direct interfaces with electronic interlocking systems
- A real-time safety layer against driver error, fatigue and distraction, including safer running in poor visibility such as dense winter fog
According to the companies, pairing Kavach with 5G SA provides a basis for evaluating whether the network can meet the communication needs of railway operations and allow trains to run at higher speeds within the same operational section.
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Why 5G SA Matters for Railway Communications
As train control and monitoring systems become more connected, the communication network carrying their data becomes a safety-critical asset in its own right. Ericsson positions 5G SA as a single platform that can support signalling, mission-critical communication (push-to-talk, video and data), onboard camera surveillance and predictive maintenance.
The companies also highlighted network security as a core requirement. Encryption, strong authentication, continuous threat detection and secure device management are intended to protect train control, signalling and operational monitoring from cyberattacks, unauthorised access and data breaches. Combined with zero-trust principles, resilience measures and regular security assessments, these controls are meant to keep services running without interruption while enabling connected trains, intelligent stations and real-time automation.
Mayank Bhargava, Director, Emerging Business and Public Sector, Ericsson India, said, “The evolution of railway communications requires technologies that can deliver the performance, flexibility and resilience needed for increasingly connected operations. Integrating Kavach 4.0 with a 5G SA network solution is an important step in exploring what 5G SA can enable for future railway and mission-critical use cases. Our collaboration with HBL demonstrates how industry expertise and advanced connectivity can come together to open new possibilities for railway communications.”
Next Steps
Ericsson and HBL said the integration will help them assess interoperability, service performance and the evolution of railway communications beyond the technologies in use today. The companies have not announced a timeline for field trials on Indian Railways sections.
The development comes as Indian Railways steps up Kavach 4.0 deployment across zones. North Central Railway recently commissioned the system on the 69.5 km Karchana-Mirzapur section, while Central Railway has completed Kavach 4.0 assessment on 337 km across three divisions. HBL is one of the Kavach equipment suppliers and earlier this year won an Integral Coach Factory (ICF) contract to supply on-board Kavach equipment.
Also Read: North Central Railway Commissions Kavach 4.0 on 69.5-km Karchana-Mirzapur Section
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