After airline fiasco, Indian Railways loco pilots too seek duty-hour limits

The All India Loco Running Staff Association said that for decades, the railway crews have been demanding a scientifically designed working atmosphere.

New Delhi: The Indian Railways loco pilots are seeking duty-hour limits to prevent fatigue and avert potential railway accidents on the line of similar  mandate for airline pilots. 

The All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA) said that for decades, the railway crews have  been demanding a scientifically designed working atmosphere.

Fatigue-risk rules have emerged globally from decades of research and safety failures, the Association said in a statement. 

“The EU Railways follow strict cumulative duty and rest limits. American railroads operate under the Hours of Service Act with mandatory off-duty rest...Australia and Canada use advanced bio mathematical models to design crew duty schedules,” the association said.

The association urged the government to  adopt  an FRMS-based working hour system for loco pilots with a six-hour daily limit. It also asked for predictable rest periods with 16 hours after every duty and weekly rest in addition to daily rest. 

According to the association, every worker agitation in any public sector or government-run industry is often met with disciplinary action, chargesheets, or suppression “invoking all sorts of black rules and are being justified as taken for the convenience of the travelling people or transportation of essential goods.”

Pointing out the recent crisis of IndiGo airlines, the association said that, "When large private corporations resist safety regulations, the government kneels before their dictums even neglecting the safety of the system. " 

The crisis involving IndiGo’s failure to abide by government rules on pilot rest hours triggered a meltdown in the domestic aviation industry.

The civil aviation regulator’s concerns stem from IndiGo’s inability to implement the Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) and the notified revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) which came into effect from November.

According to the association, the aviation controversy closely mirrors the longstanding issues faced by loco pilots in Indian Railways.