**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Railways has approved three projects totaling ₹1,236 crore to upgrade communication infrastructure and expand the Kavach automatic train protection system. Announced on March 25, 2026, these initiatives target the Central, Western, and Southern Railway zones to enhance operational safety and efficiency. The projects focus on establishing dual-path optical fibre networks and deploying Kavach version 4.0 on high-traffic routes.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Central Railway Communication Upgrades (₹623.63 Crore)**
* Installation of 96-fibre OPGW (Optical Ground Wire) along 2,250.68 Rkm of existing traction lines across Solapur, Nagpur, Pune, and Bhusawal divisions.
* Laying of underground 2x48 fibre cables over 2,673.21 Rkm across all five divisions, including Mumbai.
* Creation of a redundant, dual-path communication backbone to ensure continuous operation if one path fails.
* Utilization of additional fibre capacity for revenue generation by leasing it out as "dark fibre."
* **Southern Railway Kavach Extension (₹310.18 Crore)**
* Deployment of Kavach version 4.0, an automatic collision avoidance system, across 548 km of routes in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka.
* Coverage of the Jolarpettai–Erode (180 Rkm) and Chennai Beach–Tambaram–Chengalpattu (60 km) sections.
* Implementation on the Shoranur–Mangalore section (308 km) supported by new 4x48 fibre cabling.
* **Western Railway Fibre Backbone Completion (₹302.26 Crore)**
* Filling of infrastructure gaps in Gujarat by laying 2x48 fibre cables across 1,653 km.
* Project scope includes 1,064 km in the Rajkot Division and 589 km in the Bhavnagar Division.
* Establishment of the necessary infrastructure for future LTE-based train control systems and Kavach rollouts.
**Impact Analysis**
**Indian Railways / Ministry of Railways**
**Impact**
Modernizes infrastructure through the integration of advanced safety and communication technologies while creating a new revenue stream through dark fibre leasing.
**Action Required**
Coordinate the execution of sub-umbrella projects across the specified zones to ensure the rollout meets technical standards.
**Central, Western, and Southern Railway Divisions**
**Impact**
These divisions will gain high-reliability communication networks and automated safety systems, reducing the risk of collisions and improving operational efficiency.
**Action Required**
Execute the installation of OPGW, underground cabling, and Kavach hardware across the designated Rkm stretches and divisions.
**Railway Passengers**
**Impact**
Significant enhancement of travel safety through the Kavach system, which prevents collisions by automatically applying brakes during signal violations or collision risks.
**Action Required**
No direct action required; passengers will benefit from the safety improvements resulting from these infrastructure upgrades.
Key Entities Referenced
Kavach: Indian Railways' automatic train protection system, specifically version 4.0, being deployed to prevent collisions and enhance safety on high-traffic routes.
Ministry of Railways: The primary government body that approved the ₹1,236 crore investment for upgrading communication infrastructure and safety systems.
Central Railway: The railway zone receiving a robust dual-path communication backbone across all five of its divisions, including Mumbai and Pune.
Southern Railway: The zone where the Kavach safety system and upgraded optical fiber cabling are being deployed across sections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka.
Western Railway: The zone completing its fiber communication backbone in the Rajkot and Bhavnagar divisions of Gujarat to enable future safety system rollouts.
Ministry of Railways
Indian Railways Approves Projects worth ₹1,236
Crore to Upgrade Communication and Kavach
System
Dual Fibre Communication Network Across all Five Divisions
of Central Railway at the Cost of ₹623.63 Crore
Indian Railways to Complete Fibre Communication Network
Across Rajkot and Bhavnagar Divisions in Gujarat at ₹302.26
Crore
Kavach 4.0 Collision Avoidance System to be Deployed on
548 km of High-Traffic Routes Across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and
Karnataka at ₹310.18 Crore
Posted On: 25 MAR 2026 8:35PM by PIB Delhi
Indian Railways has approved a comprehensive set of projects worth approximately ₹1,236 crore aimed at
significantly upgrading its communication backbone and expanding the Kavach automatic train protection
system across multiple zones. These approvals cover three separate proposals. Two are focused on optical
fibre and ground wire infrastructure on Central and Western Railways, and one on deployment of Kavach
on high-utilisation routes of Southern Railway.
Central Railway Gets Upgraded Fibre Network: ₹623.63 Crore
Two complementary works have been approved to build a robust, dual-path communication backbone
across Central Railway's network, covering all five of its divisions — Solapur, Nagpur, Pune, Bhusawal,
and Mumbai.
First, a special type of composite overhead wire called OPGW (96 fibre) will be installed along the
existing 25 KV electric traction lines on 2,250.68 Rkm, covering Solapur, Nagpur, Pune, and Bhusawal
Divisions. This wire does two jobs at once: it acts as an earth protection wire for the traction system and
also carries optical fibre for communication. Since it runs on the existing traction towers, no new civil
infrastructure is needed. Cost: ₹238.9363 Crore.
Second, underground optical fibre cables (2x48 fibre) will be laid on one side of the track over 2,673.21
Rkm across all five divisions — Solapur, Pune, Nagpur, Bhusawal, and Mumbai. Together with the
OPGW on the other side, this creates two independent fibre paths on every route, ensuring the
communication network stays operational even if one path fails. Cost: ₹384.6887 Crore.
The additional fibre capacity will also be leased out as dark fibre, generating revenue for Indian Railways.Kavach Safety System Extended to 548 km on Southern Railway: ₹310.18 Crore
Kavach is Indian Railways' automatic train protection system that prevents collisions by automatically
applying brakes if two trains are on a collision course or if a signal is passed at danger. Under this
approval, it will be deployed on high-traffic routes across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka.
Under this approval, Kavach version 4.0 will be deployed on two sections of Southern Railway:
Jolarpettai–Erode (180 Rkm, Salem Division) and Chennai Beach – Tambaram – Chengalpattu
(60 km, Chennai Division) — along with new optical fibre cabling. Cost: ₹158.74 Crore.
Shoranur–Mangalore (308 km, Palakkad Division) — along with new 4x48 fibre OFC cabling.
Cost: ₹151.44 Crore.
These works are part of Southern Railway's sub-umbrella project worth ₹2,950 Crore.
Western Railway to Complete Fibre Backbone for Rajkot and Bhavnagar Divisions at ₹302.2589
Crore
Optical fibre cables (2x48 fibre, on each side of track) will be laid on the remaining stretches of two
Western Railway divisions in Gujarat — 1,064 km in Rajkot Division and 589 km in Bhavnagar Division,
totalling 1,653 km. This fills the last gaps in the fibre communication network of these divisions.
A strong fibre backbone is essential for Kavach and LTE-based train control systems to function reliably.
Completing this network ensures Western Railway's Kavach rollout can move forward without delays.
These works are part of Western Railway's sub-umbrella project worth ₹2,800 Crore.
Overall Impact
These projects are part of Indian Railways’ broader strategy to modernise infrastructure through
integration of advanced communication systems and safety technologies. The strengthening of traction-
linked communication systems and expansion of OFC networks will play a vital role in supporting
Kavach, improving operational efficiency, enhancing safety and enabling future-ready railway operations
across the country.
*****
Dharmendra Tewari/ Dr. Nayan Solanki/ Manik Sharma
(Release ID: 2245405) Visitor Counter : 164
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