West Bengal Train Accident: Could Kavach Prevented The Tragic Kanchanjunga Express Collision In West Bengal?

At least five passengers have been killed and 30 others injured after the Kanchanjunga Express was struck from behind by a goods train in New Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, on Monday. According to sources, at least two bogies of the Kanchanjunga Express were derailed in the collision.

"It has been reported that five passengers have lost their lives, and 20-25 individuals have sustained injuries in the accident. The situation is grave. The collision occurred when the Kanchenjunga Express was hit by a goods train," stated Abhishek Roy, Additional SP of Darjeeling Police, to ANI.

The accident occurred approximately 11 kilometres from New Jalpaiguri station in north Bengal, a major hub in the Northeast Frontier Railway zone of eastern and northeastern India. The Kanchanjunga Express, travelling from Agartala to Sealdah station in Kolkata, experienced the collision at around 8:30 am.

"Rescue operations have commenced, and injured passengers are being transported to hospitals," confirmed a railway official stationed at NJP.

Kanchanjunga Express Collision: What Was The Cause?

"Initially, it seems that the goods train passed the signal and collided with the rear section of the Kanchanjungha train," the official mentioned, with additional information that "railway board officials are overseeing the situation from the war room," as reported by Hindustan Times.

Could Kavach Avoid Kanchanjunga Express Collision?

The Kavach system, known as "armour" or "shield" in Hindi, is one of the advanced safety systems - Safety Integrity Level 4 (SIL-4) - being deployed by the Indian Railways to enhance safety in train operations and achieve the goal of zero accidents annually.

Designed by the Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO) of the Ministry of Railways, Kavach consists of on-board equipment installed on locomotives, and track-side components, and operates on a wireless network. Its primary objectives include the prevention of collisions and automatic activation of the braking system in critical situations, such as approaching collisions, red light violations by pilots, or exceeding permissible speed limits, as reported by PTI.

Additionally, Kavach facilitates emergency SOS messages, automatic whistling when approaching level crossings, and reduces locomotive speed to 30 km per hour upon entering loop lines. The system also features real-time information display including speed, location, distance to upcoming signals, signal types, and distress messages from pilots or stations.

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags are embedded in track segments, assigning unique IDs to each section to determine train direction and speed. Sensors are strategically placed on locomotives to transmit data to the Stationary TCAS unit at stations via ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio antennas.

In case of conflicting signals, the Stationary TCAS unit prioritizes the most restrictive conditions, automatically adjusting train movement. If two trains approach each other on the same track, SOS signals are dispatched to both with visual and auditory alerts, bringing them to a halt to maintain a safe distance of at least 300 meters, as reported by The Print.

Future plans include centralised monitoring of TCAS systems and implementation of additional fail-safe and backup security measures to prevent collisions, as outlined in an official document released by Indian Railways on the Kavach system.

Indian Railways' Kavach System: Enhancing Safety Across the Network

Indian Railways is preparing to issue tenders for the installation of Kavach, the indigenously developed anti-train collision system, across 10,000 kilometres. According to senior officials briefed on the matter, tenders will be phased in two to three phases, with consideration given to new vendors to expedite installation processes. Quadrant Future Tech and Siemens are being considered alongside existing vendors like Kernex, Medha, and HBL PowerSystems, as reported by the Businessline.

The installation will utilize LTE (long-term evolution) technology, with KEC International already implementing Kavach over 117 kilometres. Current tenders cover approximately 6,000 kilometres, with preparatory work underway for an additional 6,000 kilometres. The estimated cost for trackside equipment provision is about ₹50 lakh per kilometre while equipping locomotives with Kavach costs ₹70 lahks each.

Kavach Implementations Across Eastern and North Western Railways

Eastern Railway officials have progressed significantly in implementing Kavach along the Howrah-Chhota Ambana section, covering 150 out of 260 route kilometres. Trials have been conducted, and infrastructure development continues from Howrah to Mankar, including Barddhaman, with ongoing progress between Waria and Chhota Ambana. Moreover, 46 locomotives of Eastern Railway are already equipped with anti-train collision prevention devices, as reported by Business Today.

Meanwhile, North Western Railway has awarded tenders worth ₹426 crores for 1,600 kilometres, slated for completion by 2025. Additionally, South Central Railways have successfully implemented Kavach across 1,465 kilometres, reflecting the system's comprehensive adoption and integration into national railway safety protocols.