South Eastern Railway’s Kharagpur Electric Loco Shed has become the first shed in the zone to install the Kavach automatic train protection system in conventional electric locomotives, according to the railway. The development is intended to strengthen operational safety and reliability while improving protection for passengers and railway staff.
Kavach is an automatic train protection system that supports several safety functions during train operations. These include automatic braking, preventing the passing of a signal at danger (SPAD), controlling speed beyond prescribed limits and providing continuous signal information inside the locomotive cab through a Driver Machine Interface (DMI).
The railway said the system can help reduce the risk associated with unsafe train movements by supporting the driver with automated safety interventions and in-cab information. The deployment at Kharagpur is focused on conventional electric locomotives, which are used in railway operations including freight services.
Between July 25 and October 1, 2026, Kavach was successfully commissioned in 10 electric locomotives at the Kharagpur shed, South Eastern Railway said. Installation has also been completed in two additional locomotives, which are awaiting the completion of the commissioning process. Work is continuing on two more locomotives.
The railway has also begun using radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags to improve the identification and digital tracking of locomotives and other related railway assets. Kharagpur Electric Loco Shed has become the first shed in South Eastern Railway to install RFID tags on locomotives used with conventional electric freight trains.
RFID technology allows railway assets to be identified automatically across railway premises and at different locations. The system is intended to improve fleet monitoring and operational efficiency by providing a digital method of tracking equipment as it moves through the railway network.
So far, RFID tags have been successfully installed on two locomotives at the Kharagpur shed, while work is in progress on three others, according to South Eastern Railway. The railway’s account does not specify a broader commissioning schedule for the remaining locomotives.
The two initiatives address different parts of railway operations. Kavach is designed to support the safe movement of trains through braking, speed control and signal information, while RFID tagging is focused on identifying and monitoring locomotives and related assets. Together, the deployments mark an expansion of safety and digital tracking systems at the Kharagpur shed.
South Eastern Railway said the adoption of Kavach and RFID technology at the shed would strengthen railway safety, surveillance and operational efficiency. The next stated milestones are the commissioning of the two locomotives where Kavach installation has been completed and the continuation of installation work on the remaining locomotives and RFID-tagged assets.
