Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has won a ₹22.87 crore contract from Indian Railways’ South Western Railway zone for the deployment of the Kavach automatic train protection system—India’s indigenous safety technology designed to prevent collisions and enhance operational reliability across the rail network.
The order, formalised through a Letter of Intent dated 11 September, marks a strategic step in Indian Railways’ broader push to scale up Kavach implementation across high-density routes.
Under the scope of work, BHEL will undertake the design, development, supply, installation, trial, and commissioning of on-board Kavach equipment in locomotives, along with trackside units at critical locations including stations, level crossings, intermediate block signals, and automatic block signalling zones.
The project is slated for completion within 18 months, with all equipment to be manufactured at BHEL’s Bengaluru facility—one of the company’s key hubs for rail and transportation technology. The facility has previously supported national initiatives in signalling, traction, and safety systems.
BHEL clarified that the order was placed by a domestic entity and does not fall under the category of related-party transactions.
The Kavach system, developed by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), is part of Indian Railways’ mission to modernise safety infrastructure and reduce human error in train operations.