Railway board says 15% train driver positions is vacant
RAILWAYS & METRO RAIL

Railway board says 15% train driver positions is vacant

The Railway Board stated in response to an application under the Right to Information Act (RTI) that out of the total 1,27,644 sanctioned posts for both drivers and assistant drivers in all railway zones across the country, 18,766 (approximately 14.7 percent) were vacant as of March 1, 2024. The data further indicated that the number of vacant posts for drivers exceeded those for assistant drivers.

According to the breakdown provided, the sanctioned posts for loco pilots (drivers) amounted to 70,093, with 14,429 (approximately 20.5 percent) vacant, while for assistant loco pilots, out of the total sanctioned posts of 57,551, only 4,337 (approximately 7.5 percent) were vacant.

Chandra Shekhar Gaur, based in Madhya Pradesh and the applicant, mentioned that he had requested zone-wise vacancy status, but the board informed him that such data was not centrally maintained.

Various railway unions and drivers' associations expressed concerns that the vacant posts were leading to an increase in duty hours for the existing crew, who had to compensate for the vacancies.

Shiv Gopal Mishra, the general secretary of the All India Railwaymen's Federation, stated that this situation was escalating work pressure and stress on drivers, which was not conducive to safe train operations.

The drivers' union also suggested that the actual number of vacant posts might be higher than indicated by the data, as approximately two to three percent of drivers were engaged in office roles without officially changing their job designation in records.

Sanjay Pandhi, the working president of the Indian Railway Loco Runningmen Organisation (IRLRO), asserted that train drivers were experiencing significant stress and urged the Railways to take immediate action to fill the vacant posts.

The Railway Board stated in response to an application under the Right to Information Act (RTI) that out of the total 1,27,644 sanctioned posts for both drivers and assistant drivers in all railway zones across the country, 18,766 (approximately 14.7 percent) were vacant as of March 1, 2024. The data further indicated that the number of vacant posts for drivers exceeded those for assistant drivers. According to the breakdown provided, the sanctioned posts for loco pilots (drivers) amounted to 70,093, with 14,429 (approximately 20.5 percent) vacant, while for assistant loco pilots, out of the total sanctioned posts of 57,551, only 4,337 (approximately 7.5 percent) were vacant. Chandra Shekhar Gaur, based in Madhya Pradesh and the applicant, mentioned that he had requested zone-wise vacancy status, but the board informed him that such data was not centrally maintained. Various railway unions and drivers' associations expressed concerns that the vacant posts were leading to an increase in duty hours for the existing crew, who had to compensate for the vacancies. Shiv Gopal Mishra, the general secretary of the All India Railwaymen's Federation, stated that this situation was escalating work pressure and stress on drivers, which was not conducive to safe train operations. The drivers' union also suggested that the actual number of vacant posts might be higher than indicated by the data, as approximately two to three percent of drivers were engaged in office roles without officially changing their job designation in records. Sanjay Pandhi, the working president of the Indian Railway Loco Runningmen Organisation (IRLRO), asserted that train drivers were experiencing significant stress and urged the Railways to take immediate action to fill the vacant posts.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Resources

Schindler named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026

Schindler has been named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026, a global ranking recognising companies for their workplace environments.Compiled by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the ranking is based on independent employee feedback, including whether employees would recommend their organisation to friends and family.The company said the recognition reflected its focus on creating a workplace where employees can develop their expertise and build careers. ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India needs an export-execution mindset: Vishesh Jain

Interview with Vishesh Jain, Founder & CEO, EximpleWhat gaps in India’s global trade ecosystem led you to build Eximple, and what problem did you see businesses struggling with most?Eximple came out of a problem that all three founders had seen from different choke points in the trade ecosystem. India has millions of MSMEs and manufacturers, and many of them can make products that are genuinely competitive on quality. Yet only a small fraction is able to build meaningful international businesses. In our experience, the gap is usually not manufacturing capability; it is the ability to exe..

Next Story
Building Material

Nuvoco reports 13.5% revenue growth in Q2 FY27

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of Rs 27.9 billion for Q2 FY27, up 13.5% year on year. Cement sales volume rose 9% to 4.7 million tonnes (MMT), while EBITDA increased 11% to Rs 4.11 billion.The company said it began its cement operations in 2014 with a 2.3 MMT per annum (MMTPA) operation at Nimbol. It now aims to reach 35 MMTPA of cement capacity by FY28, nearly 15 times its initial capacity. Its portfolio spans cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials.On sustainability and cost efficiency, Nuvoco partnered with CleanMax for a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid re..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code