Indigo crisis opened the eyes of Indian Railways?:

You must have heard recently about the shortage of pilots and problems in flying in IndiGo airline. Now think, what would happen if something similar happens in Indian Railways? A big loco pilot union of the country says that like the crisis seen in Indigo, a similar big problem is going on with the loco pilots of the Railways for a long time. These are the people in whose hands are the reins of security of millions of passengers.

‘All India Loco Running Staff Association’ (AILRSA) has said in plain and simple language that Indigo’s case is not just of one airline but is a warning to every department like Railways, where even a small mistake can cost heavily. The union believes that it is very important for the working environment to be safe and comfortable, otherwise such problems will continue to arise again and again.

Is the danger greater than an airplane?

Union General Secretary K. C. James said a very important thing. He said, “Whether a pilot is in the sky or a loco pilot is on the tracks, if he is tired then the safety of passengers is directly at risk.” Their demand is that working hours should be decided on scientific basis, that is, care should be taken as to how much work a human body can do. This is not just a demand of the employees but also an important standard related to the safety of passengers.

The union says that the railway management should learn a lesson from this crisis of Indigo. The technology in trains is not as advanced as in airplanes. Therefore, the lives of millions of passengers here depend more on the alertness and agility of the loco pilots than on the airlines.

What do loco pilots want?

The union has reiterated some of its old and important demands, which are directly related to your and our safety:

• Duty should not be imposed for more than two consecutive nights.
• Working hours should be decided according to the capacity of the human body.
• The body should get complete rest after every duty.
• Set aside one day a week for rest.

The union also said that investigation of many railway accidents has revealed that the crew members i.e. drivers and guards did not get proper rest or their working hours were not correct. He claims that till date the 172 year old Indian Railways has not mustered the courage to properly analyze how many hours and under what conditions its loco pilots actually work.