The officials added that trials and certification for the Mathura-Palwal section are currently underway, with speeds of up to 160 km/h being tested.

Bids are being invited for the Delhi-Chennai and Mumbai-Chennai sections, covering approximately 3,300 Route Kilometres (Rkm), as well as for important automatic sections spanning around 5,000 Rkm; meanwhile, a sanction has been granted today for the installation of the KAVACH safety system on 10,000 locomotives, the authorities added. 

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The Kavach system seeks to overcome deficiencies in existing safety systems.  Current technologies, such as the Auxiliary Warning System (AWS), Anti-Collision Device (ACD), and Train Protection and Warning System (TPWS), have been criticised for being primitive, prone to theft, and lacking effective speed supervision. The Kakodkar Committee suggested a transition to a modern, radio-based signalling system in 2012, resulting in the development of Kavach as an indigenous, multi-vendor, fail-safe solution, stated the Railways in their communique. 

The Kavach system's key features include automated braking if the driver fails to respond, constant movement authority updates, direct communication between locomotives to avoid collisions and automatic level-crossing alerts. The system is made up of several components, including Station Kavach, RFID tags for train location tracking, and a reliable communication backbone to permit information sharing.

Indian Railways' future ambitions for Kavach include installing all locomotives with the system within the next four years and expanding the system protection to station and yard equipment.

Over 80 passenger trains to be run with extra general class coaches

To accommodate the increased demand for passengers, railroads have chosen to operate 84 mail/express trains on the Central Railway, each consisting of 4 general class coaches and 1 general class luggage/guard brake van, said CR officials. 

Following are some of the trains running with extra coaches:  Mumbai-Bhubaneswar Konark Express, Mumbai-Gondia Vidarbha Express, Mumbai-Amritsar Express, Mumbai-Chennai Express, LTT Mumbai-Karaikal Express, Mumbai-Ayodhya Cantt Saket Express, LTT Mumbai-Ballia Kamayani Express, LTT Mumbai-Balharshah Express, LTT Mumbai-Chhapra Express, Mumbai-Gorakhpur Godan Express, LTT Mumbai-Gorakhpur Express, LTT Mumbai-Ayodhya Cantt Tulsi Express, LTT Mumbai-Gorakhpur Express, LTT Mumbai-Ayodhya Cantt Express, LTT Mumbai-Sultanpur Superfast Express, LTT Mumbai-Madurai Express, Mumbai-Kochuveli Superfast Express and Pune-Lucknow Express.