Report of Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) correspondent
Recently, 72 loco pilots (mail) of the Mumbai division of Central Railway jointly applied for voluntary retirement to the Divisional Railway Manager, General Manager’s Office and Senior Loco Pilot (TRO), citing long-standing systemic problems that have made their continued service “professionally unsustainable.”
Successive governments have consistently ignored the problems of loco pilots. Constant mental stress, excessive working hours, and poor facilities have led to deterioration in the physical and mental health of employees, adversely affecting operational efficiency and family life. Running rooms and rest areas lack cleanliness, proper maintenance, and essential amenities, preventing adequate rest after long and tiring shifts. Food served on duty and in the running room is reportedly unhygienic and unfit for consumption, posing a health risk to employees on safety-sensitive duties. The lack of safe access to the lobby, trip shed, and running room, as well as inadequate lighting, pose serious safety risks, especially at night and during inclement weather. Furthermore, the management interferes with their work unnecessarily, subjecting them to undue pressure and constant harassment. Consequently, the loco pilots’ physical and mental health has deteriorated, as they have mentioned in their application (see PDF of the application below).
This dire situation is not limited to the Mumbai division but is prevalent across the country. A particularly glaring example is of the Pune division, as reported on AIFAP on 22 January 2026 (https://aifap.org.in/16228/).
The above report clearly states that the railway administration uses all kinds of force against workers’ struggles demanding filling of vacancies and an 8-hour workday. Their family members are now supporting them in this struggle.
Loco pilots and their organization, All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA), have repeatedly reported these concerns to the railway administration. Large vacancies among loco pilots, sometimes as high as 25%, are contributing to the significant workload on them. Loco pilots have consistently raised these issues through demonstrations and various forms of agitation.
Kamgar Ekta Committee condemns these abhorrent conditions which are repeatedly ignored by the government. Neglecting the safety of loco pilots means putting the safety of passengers at risk. Loco pilots, other railway workers, and passengers are all unsafe. The policy makers are neither driving the trains nor travelling as passengers, so they are naturally indifferent to the safety of common people and playing with their lives.
KEC has long saluted and supported the struggles of loco pilots. This negligence towards their safety is shameful for the government. However, such negligence is obvious in a capitalist society, where the lives of working people have no value. Only in a state of workers and farmers established by the working class will everyone’s safety be paramount.
Mass Voluntary retirement appeal by Running staff of Central Railway