Duty hours of loco pilots monitored, rest provided after trips: Railway Minister

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw defends loco pilots against opposition theatrics, emphasizing improved safety measures and working conditions.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on July 10 that there had been a lot of theatrics by the Opposition parties to demotivate train loco pilots. 

Mr. Vaishnaw said on X, “Duty hours of loco pilots are carefully monitored, and rest is provided meticulously after trips. The average duty hours are less than eight hours in June. Only under exigencies, the trip duration exceeds prescribed hours.”

Mr. Vaishnaw’s clarifications come in light of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s interaction with loco pilots, weeks after the Kanchanjunga Express train accident in West Bengal claimed lives of at least 10 persons.

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Mr. Gandhi had stated earlier on X that many loco pilots had complained about long working hours and double duties.

Safety concerns were raised after major train accidents like that of Kanchanjunga Express and Balasore train accident last year, which claimed over 290 lives. According to a Right to Information (RTI) reply, between July 7, 2021, and June 17, 2024, 131 train accidents took place, of which 92 were derailments. “In these derailments, 64 were passenger carrying trains and 28 were goods trains,” the RTI plea filed by Maharashtra-based activist Ajoy Bose stated. 

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