South Western Railway begins Kavach rollout on key stops: Know features, safety upgrades and routes covered

The South Western Railway (SWR) has begun a large-scale rollout of Kavach, a new RFID-based train protection system, to prevent collisions, control overspeeding, and improve visibility for trains across its busiest routes.

This marks one of the biggest safety upgrades ever undertaken on the Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Hubballi rail corridors.

Kavach brings several key changes:

Trains will automatically slow down or stop if the loco pilot misses a signal or if another train is too close.

RFID chips installed along the tracks will send real-time data to trains and control rooms.

Safety during fog, heavy rain, or low visibility improves because the system provides automated navigation cues.

Two RFID devices per km ensure backup, and if both fail, the train is forced to halt—adding another pr