Loco running staff, under the banner of All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA), are criticizing the Railway Board’s policy of re-engaging retired workers. The Railway Board’s letter dated 19 August (attached below) acknowledge the “acute shortage of Loco Pilots, Assistant Loco Pilots (both diesel and electric) and Train Managers.” Instead of filling the nearly 29,000 vacancies in Loco Pilot and Assistant Loco Pilot categories with fresh recruits, the government is trying to take a shortcut by re-employing retired workers on per-day wages! There have been deliberate, prolonged delays in recruitment, which has led to extreme burden on existing workers. In some cases, Loco Pilots have been made to work for more than 14 hours—and in one case, even 25 hours—at a stretch. Over the years, workers have organized several agitations and protests to demand recruitment. At the same time, various committees, government authorities and High Court judgments have recommended immediate recruitment. The Railway Board’s shortcut of re-employing retired workers is an anti-worker and anti-youth step that affects the safety of both workers and passengers.
Message received from Shri Prakash, Assistant Loco Pilot in Trichy, Southern Railways
August 27 – To Be Observed as Protest Day by Loco Pilots of Indian Railways
Comrades, why this struggle?
The Railway Board is using the acute shortage of Loco Running Staff as an opportunity to push through anti-worker and anti-people policies. The latest order is nothing but a directive to re-engage retired Loco Pilots and Assistant Loco Pilots.
What is the background to this situation? What are the consequences?
It is a shocking fact that lakhs of vacancies remain unfilled across the Indian Railways. This is not a routine matter to be ignored, because in the case of safety categories the impact is extremely serious. Vacancies remain unfilled in Signalling, Operating & Traffic, Engineering, and Maintenance departments as well. Most alarming is the fact that in the critical safety category of Loco Pilots alone, nearly 29,000 posts remain vacant.
Because of this:
- Loco Pilots are subjected to denial of leave, denial of rest, overwork, excessively long duty hours, continuous night duties, and extended working.
- Even weekly rest is being denied. Existing rules already dilute weekly rest by stretching it up to 10 days, unlike other categories of workers who get it once a week.
- While all workers are entitled to daily rest plus weekly rest, Loco Pilots are denied their 16 hours of daily rest, and instead are compensated with a 30-hour weekly rest (on paper).
This has been repeatedly pointed out as one of the causes for accidents:
- Even the Task Force on Safety and subsequent inquiries noted that denial of statutory rest leads to fatigue and human error.
- The Regional Labour Commissioner (Central), under the Hours of Employment Act, and even High Court judgments have directed the administration to follow the law. Yet, the Railway administration continues to deny these rights, citing shortage of staff as the main reason.
Unsafe Duty Patterns
Railway rules themselves create conditions for human error.
- Despite recommendations of the High Power Committee (HPC) and RDSO (that night duty should not exceed two consecutive nights), Railway Board orders compel Loco Pilots to work up to four continuous nights.
- Railway Board data (October 2024) shows 4,350 cases where Loco Pilots were made to work more than four consecutive nights, including 92 cases in Southern Railway alone. This raises a serious question: how can a Loco Pilot avoid micro-sleep, prevent SPADs, and ensure passenger safety under such inhuman duty conditions?
Excessively Long Duty Hours
Another major problem is longer duty hours. In many cases, Loco Pilots are made to work more than 14 hours at a stretch. For example, on just one day (9th August), data revealed over 100 extreme cases, including one Loco Pilot forced to work for 25 hours continuously.
Recruitment Delays – An Intentional Neglect
This crisis is not accidental. It appears planned and deliberate.
- RRB Notification (CEN-01/2024) issued in January 2024 advertised 5,696 ALP vacancies. But the Railway Minister later stated only 3,190 posts existed, and promised that RRB would fill additional 5,696 posts. In reality, over 16,000 ALP posts remained vacant.
- Following nationwide protests and accidents, and after Southern Railway Loco Pilots began agitation on 01.06.2025, the Board revised the ALP vacancies to 18,799 (notification dated 18.06.2025).
- An Annual Recruitment Calendar was announced, and the Minister told Parliament that filling of vacancies is a “continuous process”. Yet, the 2024 Notification saw its CBAT exam held only in July 2025, after one full year, and the process is still incomplete. When will training finish? When will new recruits join service? When will they be able to share the burden of work and get leave/rest? Nobody knows.
- Now another Notification (CEN-01/2025) has been issued for 9,970 ALP vacancies. Altogether, around 29,000 ALP posts remain vacant.
This is nothing but continuous, intentional neglect.
The Government’s Policy Contradiction
The Railway Board Chairman himself, in a letter to the Secretary, Department of Expenditure (Finance Ministry), has sought clearance for creation of posts. This proves that the crisis is real and caused by policy decisions.
Instead of addressing the problem of recruitment delays, the government and administration are trying to cover up their failures and adopt a shortcut: re-engaging retired employees. This is anti-worker and anti-youth. At a time when lakhs of young people are unemployed, engaging retirees in safety categories is disgraceful and unacceptable. It must be stopped immediately.
Accountability Missing
Who is accountable for the years of vacancy accumulation in safety posts? Which senior official or Minister has been held responsible? Instead, whenever accidents occur, the blame is quickly shifted to “human error” and lower-level workers are punished, while no systemic corrective measures are taken.
Ignoring Human Rights
After repeated struggles, a Multi-Disciplinary Committee on Safety was formed. Instead of addressing the real issues, it dismissed the fundamental human right of workers under Article 21 of the Constitution, stating that “Loco Pilots cannot be given time for food or natural calls during duty”. This shocking stand shows total disregard for safety and dignity of labour.
High-Speed Without Safety Standards
Without addressing root causes of human error, without filling vacancies, without technological upgrades, and without improving safety standards, pushing for high-speed trains will only increase accidents.
Why We Oppose Re-Engagement of Retirees
Re-employment of retirees is:
- Against workers – as it delays promotions of serving staff.
- Against youth – as it blocks employment opportunities.
- Against safety – as it demoralises the workforce and destroys workplace culture.
- Outside the framework of law – as it bypasses regular recruitment, DAR rules, and post-sanction norms.
Therefore, on August 27, all branches will hold protest meetings and raise a united voice against the Railway Board’s anti-worker, anti-youth order.
AILRSA South Zone
Railway Board letter on re-engagement of retired staff:
