Talk presented by Shri Parthasarthy, Assistant Zonal Secretary, Southern Railway, All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA) at the National Seminar on Railway Safety
On behalf of AILRSA, I extend revolutionary greetings and best wishes for the success of CITU’s initiative to conduct a nationwide seminar on Railway Safety—driven by the noble vision that the Railways must continue to function as a public service sector in the interest of the people of our country.
Railway safety becomes a topic of media discussion only for a few days after major accidents. One of the key reasons safety does not improve is the inadequate financial allocation in the Railway/Union Budget for its sustained upkeep and advancement—something we are all aware of. Comrades like Ilangovan have persistently highlighted this issue in the media, and I leave it to them to provide further details. I would like to focus on a few other aspects.
It is reported that there are approximately 3 lakh vacancies unfilled in Indian Railways. This cannot be dismissed as a routine issue common across all government departments. Vacancies in safety-critical categories of the Railways have grave implications. Likewise, unfilled positions in the signal, operating, traffic, engineering, and maintenance departments severely compromise the functioning of the system. Among loco pilots alone, nearly 28,000 posts remain vacant.
As a result, loco pilots are subjected to denial of leave, denial of rest, overwork, extended duty hours, continuous night shifts, and excessive workload. Even our weekly rest is being denied. Though our work directly affects the safety of thousands of passengers, regulations permit a weekly rest of even up to ten days—an exploitative clause in itself. Moreover, while every other worker is granted a full weekly rest in addition to daily rest, loco pilots are given only 30 hours of weekly rest (as per rules), during which our mandated 16-hour daily rest is denied.
Despite the findings of the Task Force on Safety, the recommendations of the Regional Labour Commissioner, High Court judgments, and our prolonged struggles, the Railway administration still denies us proper rest. Staff shortage is a major reason behind this.
Further, the very rules of the Railways are structured in ways that induce human errors. For example, contrary to human biology and recommendations of HPC and RDSO, Railway Board orders mandate four consecutive night duties. According to Railway Board data for October, there were over 4,350 cases where loco pilots worked more than four nights in a row. What safeguards can prevent micro-sleep, SPAD (Signal Passing at Danger), and accidents under such conditions?
Long duty hours are another serious issue. Loco pilots are made to work beyond 14 hours regularly. For example, on just one day—August 9—data shows that a loco pilot worked for 25 hours straight. This is not an isolated case.
These vacancies are not due to unintentional delays but appear to be the result of deliberate planning. Here’s how I say that:
In January 2024, notification CEN-01/2024 was issued for 5,696 Assistant Loco Pilot posts. However, the Minister stated only 3,190 vacancies existed and claimed RRB would fill an additional 5,696 posts. We protested nationwide, demanding that over 16,000 vacancies be filled. Due to increasing accidents and ongoing protests—especially by Southern Railway loco pilots from June 1—the vacancies were later revised to 18,799 on June 18, 2024.
Our continued pressure also led to the release of an Annual Recruitment Calendar. In Parliament, it was said that filling up of vacancies is a continuous process. Yet, the CBT exam for the 2024 notification is only being held in July 2025—a full year later. What about selection, interviews, and psychological testing? When will training finish? When will these recruits join? When will they relieve us and allow us rest? How many more years? If this isn’t continuous, intentional neglect, what is? Now CEN no.1/2025 notification is issued for additional ALP Vacancies of 9970. Accumulated ALP vacancies are around 29000.
The letter from Railway Board Chairman Satish Kumar to the Secretary, Department of Expenditure, seeking permission for post creation is evidence of how policy decisions of the government are the root cause of this crisis.
Instead of resolving recruitment delays, the government/administration resorts to the shortcut of re-engaging retired employees—used as a cover-up for their failures. At a time when lakhs of youth are unemployed, hiring retired staff, especially in a government enterprise, is a shameful and condemnable act.
Another major reason for the continued compromise of Railway safety is the lack of accountability. From ministerial levels to top officials, accountability is absent. Only grassroots employees and supervisors are scapegoated. Despite the loss of hundreds of lives in the Odisha accident or the Delhi station stampede, no top official or minister was held responsible. Though “graded responsibility” has been discussed for years and recommended by safety committees, no meaningful action has followed. That is why similar accidents keep repeating.
After the recent Cuddalore gate incident, two gatekeepers working under EI (Essentially Intermittent) classification in the Arakkonam–Chengalpattu section were removed from service under Rule 14(ii) without chargesheet or enquiry, merely on the allegation that they were resting during duty. This is a clear case of misuse of power. What’s more unfortunate is that our trade unions failed to respond appropriately.
According to the EI roster, rest/inaction is permissible during idle duty periods. What emergency akin to the Manipur riots necessitated invoking Rule 14(ii) without an enquiry? The Supreme Court guidelines, DoPT circulars, and Railway Board orders have all been ignored in this arbitrary use of authority. Shouldn’t we act firmly against the Sr. DEN who abused his power?
At this juncture, many workers are questioning the effectiveness of the recognised unions. Officers often portray themselves in the media as “strict” administrators but do nothing substantial to prevent accidents. That is why, after the Odisha tragedy, a similar accident occurred in Kavarapettai. The inquiry report for the Kavarapettai accident has not even been released. Even RTI applications yield no results. Who has the authority to question the limitless powers of the Railways?
After several struggles, a Railway Multi-Disciplinary Committee was formed to address the issues of loco pilots, who play a key role in accident prevention. Yet the committee, without exploring any viable possibilities, dismissed the matter by stating that it is not feasible to provide time for meals or natural calls to working loco pilots, showing utter disregard for the rights guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. No effort has been made to eliminate the human errors resulting from this neglect.
The Railway Ministry keeps assuring that Kavach (Train Collision Avoidance System) will be implemented soon and will solve all safety issues. But its rollout is extremely slow. Although version 3.2 has been implemented over 1,465 route kilometers on South Central Railway, version 4.0—approved by RDSO in July 2024—has yet to be deployed.
The cost for setting up Kavach, including trackside and station infrastructure, is about ₹50 lakh per kilometer, while the cost of installation on locomotives is ₹80 lakh per loco. A one-time lump sum fund must be allocated, with a clear implementation deadline of 4 to 5 years.
Without addressing the root causes of human error or advancing technological systems to improve safety standards, running high-speed trains will only increase accidents. It is our union’s duty to bring these facts to the public and respond strongly.
I conclude by thanking the organisers for giving AILRSA the opportunity to share our views.
A small request: This seminar must adopt a resolution demanding the following—
- Enhanced budgetary allocation for Railway safety
- Immediate filling of vacancies to reduce human errors
- Annual time-bound recruitment to prevent future delays
- Humane working conditions for loco pilots, trackmen, and other categories
- Rapid implementation of technological upgrades like Kavach
- Safety standards proportional to increasing train speeds
- Repeal of the draconian Rule 14(ii)
- Reversal of privatisation policies
Let us work together to uphold the safety, dignity, and justice of Railway workers and passengers alike.