The Indian Railways has announced plans to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Madhya Pradesh Government to purchase around 145 megawatts (MW) of solar power from the state. This move is aimed at reducing the country’s reliance on fossil fuels and promoting the use of renewable energy sources. The Railways has been laying tracks in Madhya Pradesh for the past decade, with a total of 2,500 kilometers of tracks laid so far.
In addition to the solar power deal, the Railways has also announced plans to deploy its Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, known as Kavach, on 3,572 kilometers of tracks in Madhya Pradesh and 1,105 kilometers of tracks in adjoining Chhattisgarh. The Kavach system is designed to improve safety by preventing accidents caused by human error. It uses advanced technology to monitor the train’s speed and distance from the next station, and can automatically apply the brakes if the train is going too fast.
The deployment of Kavach is part of the Railways’ efforts to improve safety and reduce accidents on its network. The system has already been successfully tested on several routes and is expected to be rolled out across the country in the coming years. The solar power deal and the deployment of Kavach are significant steps towards reducing the Railways’ carbon footprint and improving safety, and are expected to have a positive impact on the environment and the economy.