About 15 % of 18,766 Railway driver posts vacant, claims RTI response

Out of total 1,27,644 sanctioned posts of both drivers and assistant drivers in all railway zones across the country, 18,766 (about 14.7 per cent) was lying vacant as on March 1, 2024, the Railway Board said in a response to an application under the Right to Information Act (RTI).

Further break-up of the data suggests that the number of vacant posts of drivers is much higher as compared to that of assistant drivers.

It shows that the sanctioned posts of loco pilots (drivers) is 70,093, out

of which 14,429 (about 20.5 per cent) is vacant whereas for assistant loco pilots, out of total sanctioned posts of 57,551, only 4,337 (about 7.5 per cent) is vacant.

Madhya Pradesh-based Chandra Shekhar Gaur, who had filed the application, said that he had asked for zone-wise vacancy status but the board said that such data is not centrally maintained.

Various railway unions and drivers’ associations say that the vacant posts result in an increase in duty hours of the existing strength of crew as they have to compensate for the vacant posts as well.

“This is increasing work pressure and stress on drivers which is not in the interest of safe train operations,” Shiv Gopal Mishra, general secretary, All India Railwaymen’s Federation, said.

Drivers’ union also says that the number of vacant posts could be more than what the data shows because about two to three percent drivers do various office

jobs without getting their job role changed in the official record.

“According to me, the overall vacancy of both drivers and assistant drivers should be about 17 to 18 per cent as two to three per cent loco pilots are such who work in different capacity in offices, but in Railway records, maintain their job category as loco pilot,” Sanjay Pandhi, the working president of the Indian Railway Loco Runningmen Organisation (IRLRO), said.

He added that train drivers are under “stress” and the Railways should immediately take steps to fill the vacant posts.

In January 2024, the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) initiated a drive to hire 5,696 assistant loco pilots nationwide. The selection process is ongoing. According to Railway norms, a loco pilot’s nine-hour work duration can be extended up to 12 hours.