Ahmedabad, Sep 27 — Railway safety and capacity in Gujarat received a boost on Sunday with the commissioning of the indigenous 'Kavach' train protection system on the Ahmedabad-Palanpur and Ahmedabad-Samakhiyali sections, the launch of automatic signalling on two key routes and the commencement of doubling work on the Sabarmati-Sarkhej railway section.
The projects were launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi as part of a series of railway initiatives in the state.
The Kavach system was commissioned on the Ahmedabad-Palanpur and Ahmedabad-Samakhiyali sections. In the Ahmedabad Division, a total of 404 km of railway network is being equipped with the indigenous Standard Kavach system at an estimated cost of around Rs 411 crore, covering 157 km of the Ahmedabad-Palanpur section and 247 km of the Ahmedabad-Samakhiyali section.
Kavach is an automatic train protection system designed to assist in preventing collisions and improve safety during train operations.
It provides protection against situations such as trains exceeding prescribed speed limits and is intended to reduce the risk arising from human error.
Automatic signalling was also launched on the Sabarmati-Sanand-Jakhwada and Sabarmati-Kalol-Bhandu Motidau sections.
The system covers 122.57 km at an estimated cost of around Rs 118.83 crore. Automatic Block Signalling (ABS) allows trains to be operated at safe intervals by dividing a railway route into signalling blocks.
The system is expected to increase line capacity and facilitate the movement of more trains while maintaining operational safety.
Work on doubling the 21-km Sabarmati-Sarkhej railway section was also launched. The project has an estimated cost of around Rs 313.27 crore and is targeted for completion by March 2028.
The doubling project covers Sabarmati, Gandhigram, Vastrapur and Sarkhej stations and includes work involving 16 minor bridges, 13 road underbridges, one major bridge and six level crossings.
The additional railway line is intended to increase capacity on the section and facilitate smoother movement of passenger and freight trains, while reducing operational bottlenecks and train detention.
The project is also expected to strengthen rail connectivity towards the Sarkhej–Dholera area.
The latest projects form part of railway works worth more than Rs 1,542 crore being unveiled in Sabarmati and Ahmedabad during HM Shah's Gujarat visit.
The package also includes the inauguration of a Rs 700-crore WAG-12 locomotive maintenance shed and the launch of the country's first LNG-powered train from Sabarmati railway station.