Kota Division Upgrades for 160 Kmph & Vande Bharat
The Kota Division of West Central Railway has achieved a massive milestone in its journey toward high-speed rail. Through a comprehensive Kota Division 160 kmph upgrade, the division has enhanced 596 track kilometers (TKM) to facilitate much faster train operations, a move that brings the Delhi-Mumbai route closer to its high-speed potential under Indian Railways' 'Mission Raftaar'.
Powering the Future of High-Speed Rail
A central component of this modernization is the commissioning of a sophisticated 2x25 kV traction power supply system. This system now covers the entire 596 TKM of upgraded track, including the critical 128 TKM stretch between Salabad and Murhesi Rampur.
Saurabh Jain, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of the Kota Division, highlighted the importance of this electrical upgrade. He noted that the new system provides the necessary voltage stability and power capacity required to support both high-speed passenger services and an increased frequency of freight operations.
Technical Overhaul for Smoother Journeys
To ensure that trains can glide at higher speeds without interruption, several technical enhancements have been implemented on the Delhi-Kota section:
- Continuous Welded Rails (CWR): Traditional jointed tracks have been replaced with CWR to eliminate jolts and ensure smoother operations.
- Advanced Switches: The installation of 516 thick-web switches has been completed.
- Track Alignment: Over 50 curve alignments have been modified to accommodate higher speeds.
- Foundation Strengthening: Track foundations have been reinforced with deeper sleepers for better stability.
As a result of these intensive efforts, the Nagda-Mathura-Nagda stretch is now 91% prepared for 160 kmph operations.
Vande Bharat Sleeper Hits 180 Kmph
The Kota Division has also emerged as a vital testing ground for the next generation of Indian trains. Following successful high-speed trials of the Vande Bharat sleeper rake in early 2025, subsequent testing in April and November 2025 saw 16-coach Vande Bharat configurations pushing speeds up to 180 kmph.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that a fully-loaded Vande Bharat sleeper train successfully completed a 225-kilometer test run at 180 kmph on the Kota-Nagda section.
Kavach 4.0: Setting a New Safety Standard
Safety remains at the forefront of these developments. The division has achieved a significant feat by implementing the Kavach 4.0 indigenous automatic train protection system across a 549-kilometer stretch of the Delhi-Mumbai corridor between Mathura and Nagda. This makes the Kota Division the first in India to deploy this advanced safety technology across such an extensive length.
Trial runs for the Kavach system have already been conducted at 160 kmph, utilizing onboard units installed in more than 87 electric locomotives, ensuring that as speeds increase, safety keeps pace.