CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -Indian Railway has developed its own Automatic Train Protection (ATP) System called Kavach for enhancing safety of running trains.

Detailed explanation-2: -Kavach alerts when a loco pilot jumps a signal (Signal Passed at Danger-SPAD), which is the leading cause of train collisions. The system can alert the loco pilot and take control of the brakes and bring train movement to a halt automatically when it notices another train on the same line within a prescribed distance.

Detailed explanation-3: -(i) Electrification of railway lines to reduce burden on fossil fuels and to increase speed. (ii) Introduction of computerised reservation system for convenience of passengers. (iii) Conversion of metre gauge lines to broad gauge to ensure higher speed and carrying capacity.

Detailed explanation-4: -It is India’s own automatic protection system, which is in development since 2012, under the name Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), which got rechristened Kavach or “armour”.

Detailed explanation-5: -Answer: Improvements made by the Indian Railways in its functioning are as follow: (1) Steam engines are replaced by diesel and electric engines. (2) E-ticket and I-ticket facilities are available. (3) Conversion of meter and narrow gauges into broad gauges.