How many trains use Kavach?

As of April 2026, the rollout of the Kavach (Automatic Train Protection) system is accelerating rapidly across the Indian Railways network.

Here is the breakdown of its current scale:

1. Locomotives (Trains)

Equipped: Over 1,000 locomotives are currently operational with Kavach onboard.

Western Railway: As of early 2026, 364 locomotives in the Western Railway zone alone have been equipped.

Recent Approvals: In April 2026, the Ministry of Railways sanctioned an additional ₹1,364 crore to equip 232 more locomotives in the Southern Railway zone with the latest Kavach Version 4.0.

Future Targets: Tenders have been finalized to equip approximately 6,300 electric locomotives and 2,679 diesel locomotives with Version 4.0 in the coming years.

2. Route Coverage

Operational: Kavach is now commissioned over more than 2,200 route kilometers (RKm) across India.

Kavach 4.0: The latest version (4.0) alone covers over 1,300 RKm across five railway zones.

Major Corridors:

Delhi–Mumbai Route: Significant portions, including the Palwal–Mathura–Nagda section (633 RKm) and Vadodara–Virar (344 RKm), are now protected.

Delhi–Howrah Route: The Howrah–Bardhaman section (105 RKm) is operational, with work progressing on the rest of the corridor.

Expansion: Trackside implementation is currently being scaled up to cover 23,360 route kilometers in total, focusing on the "Golden Quadrilateral" (connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai).

3. Strategic Milestones

Version 4.0 Rollout: January 30, 2026, saw the highest-ever single-day commissioning (472 RKm), marking a major shift to the more advanced Version 4.0.

Vande Bharat: The Vande Bharat 4.0 trains are designed to natively incorporate Kavach 5.0, which is an advanced version specifically tailored for high-speed suburban sections.

Quick Summary Table (April 2026)