Indian Railways has approved multiple projects worth 1,364 crore rupees to strengthen safety, signalling and communication infrastructure across its network. The Ministry of Railways said that the sanctioned works include the provision of Kavach on locomotives, the expansion of the optical fibre cable network and the replacement of panel interlocking with electronic interlocking systems across various railway zones. Indian Railways has sanctioned the provision of on-board Kavach equipment for 232 locomotives in Southern Railway at a cost of over 200 crore rupees. It has sanctioned three itemised works in Northern Railway at a total cost of 400 crore rupees for the strengthening of communication backbone infrastructure.

The works aim to enhance the capacity and reliability of communication systems across divisions, which are critical for modern signalling and Kavach deployment. Indian Railways has sanctioned the provision of 2×48 fibre OFC cables for Kavach over North Central Railway at a cost of 176 crore rupees. It will support deployment of Kavach and improve communication infrastructure across high-density routes.

Further, two itemised works in South Central Railway at a total cost of 578 crore rupees for the replacement of panel interlocking with electronic interlocking systems have also been sanctioned. It will enhance signalling reliability, reduce manual intervention and improve safety across high-density routes. The works will support deployment of Kavach, strengthen communication backbone and upgrade signalling systems across key routes. It will also improve operational efficiency and ensure safer train operations across the network.