Summary:
Indian Railways has approved a Rs 3.98 billion project to enhance communication infrastructure on the Western Railway by installing a 4×48 optical fibre cable backbone across the Ahmedabad and Ratlam divisions. Part of the larger “Provision of Kavach with LTE communication backbone” programme, the project will cover 1,929 route kilometres and is expected to boost network capacity, reliability, and efficiency, while supporting advanced signalling systems like Kavach for seamless data transmission.
Indian Railways has cleared a project aimed at improving its communication systems on the Western Railway, approving the installation of a 4×48 optical fibre cable (OFC) backbone across the Ahmedabad and Ratlam divisions at an estimated cost of Rs 3.98 billion.
The initiative falls under the broader programme titled “Provision of Kavach with communication backbone of long-term evolution (LTE) on balance routes of Indian Railways (Umbrella Work 2024–25),” which has a total sanctioned outlay of Rs 276.93 billion under the 2024–25 works programme. Additionally, a sub-umbrella allocation of Rs 28 billion has been designated for Western Railway, under which this project is being executed.
According to the approved plan, 2×48 fibre OFC cables will be deployed over 1,929 route kilometres (RKm) within Western Railway, including 1,456 RKm in the Ahmedabad division and 473 RKm in the Ratlam division. This expansion of the communication backbone is expected to improve capacity, dependability, and overall efficiency. It will also facilitate advanced signalling technologies, including the rollout of Kavach, ensuring smooth and reliable data transmission across the network.
