DELHI(Metro Rail News): Indian Railways has approved infrastructure projects worth โน1,364.45 crore to accelerate the deployment of Kavach 4.0 alongside expansion of optical fibre cable networks and upgrades to electronic interlocking systems across multiple railway zones.
Kavach equipment to be installed on 232 locomotives in the Southern Railway
Indian Railways has sanctioned the provision of on-board Kavach equipment for 232 locomotives in Southern Railway at a cost of โน208.81 crore. The proposal forms part of the umbrella work titled โProvision of Kavach with communication backbone of Long-Term Evolution (LTE) on balance routes of Indian Railways (Umbrella Work 2024โ25)โ included in the Works Programme (Pink Book) 2024โ25, with an overall cost of โน27,693 crore under PH-33.
A sub-umbrella allocation of โน2,950 crore has been earmarked for Southern Railway under this programme. The present work has been proposed within this sub-umbrella and covers the installation of Kavach Version 4.0 equipment on locomotives.
Communication backbone to be strengthened in Northern Railway with a 2ร48 OFC network
Indian Railways has sanctioned three itemised works in Northern Railway at a total cost of โน400.86 crore for the strengthening of communication backbone infrastructure. These works are part of the umbrella project titled โStrengthening, repair & replacement of communication backbone over Indian Railways (Umbrella Work 2024โ25)โ approved at a cost of โน4,871 crore under PH-33.
A sub-umbrella provision of โน871 crore has been allocated for Northern Railway. Under this, three works have been approved: provision of 2ร48 fibre cables along 926.05 route km in Ambala Division at a cost of โน115.74 crore; provision of 2ร48 fibre cables along 1,204 route km along with Optical Fiber Communication (OFC) rooms at stations in Delhi Division at a cost of โน165.49 crore; and provision of 2ร48 fibre cables along 1,074 route km in Lucknow Division at a cost of โน119.63 crore.
The works aim to enhance the capacity and reliability of communication systems across divisions, which are critical for modern signalling and Kavach deployment.
OFC provision for Kavach over North Central Railway to cover 2,196 route kilometres
Indian Railways has sanctioned the provision of 2ร48 fibre OFC cables for Kavach over North Central Railway at a cost of โน176.7699 crore. The work also falls under the umbrella project for strengthening, repair and replacement of communication backbone over Indian Railways.
A sub-umbrella allocation of โน200 crore has been provided for North Central Railway. The present work has been proposed under this allocation and will cover 2,196 route kilometres, including 1,016 km in Prayagraj Division, 709 km in Jhansi Division and 471 km in Agra Division.
The project will support deployment of Kavach and improve communication infrastructure across high-density routes.
Electronic Interlocking works approved in South Central Railway
Indian Railways has sanctioned two itemised works in South Central Railway at a total cost of โน578.02 crore for replacement of panel interlocking with electronic interlocking systems. The works fall under the umbrella project titled โProvision of Electronic Interlocking at balance stations on HDN/HUN routes where Kavach/ABS/CTC is sanctioned (Umbrella Work 2024โ25)โ approved at a cost of โน15,164 crore under PH-33.
A sub-umbrella allocation of โน1,857 crore has been earmarked for South Central Railway. Under this, two works have been approved: replacement of panel interlocking with electronic interlocking at 35 stations on HDN/HUN routes in Guntakal Division at a cost of โน426.82 crore; and similar replacement at 14 stations on HDN/HUN routes in Nanded Division at a cost of โน151.20 crore.
The works aim to enhance signalling reliability, reduce manual intervention and improve safety across high-density routes.
All the sanctioned projects are part of the broader effort to modernise Indian Railways with a focus on safety, reliability and capacity enhancement. The works will support the deployment of Kavach, strengthen the communication backbone and upgrade signalling systems across key routes. These interventions are expected to improve operational efficiency and ensure safer train operations across the network.
Also Read: Milestone for Indiaโs rail manufacturing: RCF Kapurthala enters the Vande Bharat production race
Discover how AI is bringing the next phase of sustainable urban rail mobility for Viksit Bharat at InnoMetro 2026, Indiaโs prime exhibition and conference for metro & railways, which is going to be held on 21-22 May 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
Register Now: https://zma.page/ek