New Delhi: Indian Railways has approved projects worth a combined ₹675 crore to strengthen railway safety, modernise signalling infrastructure and expand freight-handling capacity across key sections of its network.
The approvals cover Kavach 4.0 deployment on 712 route kilometres of Moradabad Division, an 11-km bypass line between Adra and Joychandipahar and Electronic Interlocking at 21 stations in Samastipur Division.
Three Projects Target Safety, Signalling and Freight Capacity
The latest approvals include:
- ₹170 crore: Kavach 4.0 on the remaining 712 Rkm of Moradabad Division, Northern Railway.
- ₹272 crore: Construction of an 11-km bypass line between Adra end and Joychandipahar, South Eastern Railway.
- ₹233 crore: Electronic Interlocking at 21 stations in Samastipur Division, East Central Railway.
Together, the projects are aimed at strengthening train protection, upgrading signalling systems and creating additional capacity for freight movement.
₹170 Crore Kavach 4.0 Deployment in Moradabad Division
Indian Railways has approved ₹170 crore for deploying Kavach Version 4.0 across the remaining 712 route kilometres of Moradabad Division.
Kavach is India’s indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system. It is designed to provide an additional safety layer during train operations.
Kavach is designed to:
- Help prevent Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD).
- Automatically apply brakes when required to prevent unsafe situations.
- Regulate train speed under critical operating conditions.
- Reduce the risk of train collisions.
The approval will extend Kavach 4.0 coverage across the identified remaining sections of the division.
₹272 Crore Bypass to Improve Adra-Joychandipahar Freight Movement
A separate ₹272-crore project has been approved for an 11-km bypass line between Adra end and Joychandipahar in South Eastern Railway.
The proposed Adra-Joychandipahar-Sanka bypass will provide path segregation and a bi-directional connection to the upcoming third line.
The project is designed to accommodate projected freight movement of 6.065 rakes per day and cater to anticipated growth in industrial traffic.
The bypass is expected to address:
- Operational bottlenecks on the existing section.
- Detentions caused by surface-crossing conflicts.
- Growing industrial freight movement.
- Capacity constraints on the Adra-Joychandipahar corridor.
The project is also linked to the Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridor identified by Indian Railways.
The railway has projected that the project could facilitate an additional 8.88 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of traffic upon completion.
Freight Infrastructure to Support Industrial Demand
The bypass is expected to support freight requirements associated with SAIL’s 23.40 MTPA iron ore demand and BCCL’s projection of 45 freight rakes per day.
The existing network in the relevant section is operating at 71% utilisation, while the Joychandipahar-Adra section’s line capacity is currently stated at 47.50%. This is projected to rise to 56.45% by 2028-29.
By creating a separate route and reducing conflicts with surface crossings, the bypass will provide additional infrastructure for freight operations along the corridor.
₹233 Crore Electronic Interlocking at 21 Samastipur Stations
Indian Railways has also approved ₹233 crore for installing Electronic Interlocking (EI) at 21 stations in the Samastipur Division of East Central Railway.
The project involves replacing the existing Panel Interlocking systems at the identified stations with computer-based Electronic Interlocking technology.
What the Electronic Interlocking system offers:
- Higher signalling reliability.
- Faster fault diagnosis.
- Easier maintenance.
- Greater operational flexibility.
- Modernised signalling infrastructure.
The upgraded systems will also facilitate the implementation of Kavach, linking the signalling modernisation programme with the wider train-protection system.
Three Approvals, One Wider Railway Modernisation Push
The three projects address different requirements across the railway network: train protection in Moradabad, freight capacity in the Adra-Joychandipahar corridor and signalling modernisation in Samastipur.
The combined approvals of ₹675 crore therefore cover both safety-oriented systems and capacity-building infrastructure, with Kavach and Electronic Interlocking strengthening train operations while the bypass line creates additional infrastructure for freight movement.
