Wagon of woes: Staff shortage, burnout derail wellness of loco pilots

Women loco pilots complain of urinary infection due to lack of washrooms in engine cabs

Lakshmi (name changed), 38, a loco pilot (shunter) has been working with the Railways for the last 10 years. It has not been an easy ride. One day just runs into another, then another.

Lack of facilities tires her. But no regrets, she is proud of what she is.

Indian Railways has more than 60,000 loco pilots of which about 1,000 are women. A proud statistic, yet lying behind the lifeline of India -- The Railways -- is many a loco pilot's story of agony and hardship.

Clearly, the manpower shortage has had a rippling effect on them. Extended working hours, continuous night shifts and lack of enough periodic rest have been fuelling fatigue, stress and burnout.

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For decades now, poor infrastructure -- like the lack of washrooms in engine cabs --- has been derailing their morale and wellness.

Lakshmi recollects her assistant loco pilot days. She once needed to use the washroom and since there are no washrooms in the cabin when the train reached a station, she rushed to the station. "When I was halfway to the station, the signal turned green and I had to get back on the train," she said. It was three hours later after she reached the destination, she could use the restroom.

With no washrooms in the cabin, the menstrual period is harrowing. "We struggle to change sanitary pads," she said.

Surabhi, 28, (name changed) joined Railways four years back. She runs Express trains now. "We face urinary infections all the time because of the lack of washrooms in the engine cabins. The Railways recently claimed that the most modern coaches are being provided but we are still working in locos without toilets," she said.

There is only oral instructions that one can use washrooms in coaches, the loco pilots are hesitant to do so as they will be answerable if they lose time.

M M Roly, a retired loco pilot (Mail) and central vice president of AILRSA pointed out that things are far worse for women loco pilots than men. "Although loco pilots can use the washroom in the first coach, if it's a general compartment, you cannot even get inside the compartment."

The women loco pilots he knows refrain from drinking water which ends up in urinary infections.

In 2016, the National Human Rights Commission had ordered the Railway Board to install toilets and ACs in all locomotives. The Board had agreed to it.

"But that is yet to turn into a reality," Roly said. "Although trial measures were taken to install toilets, those did not come through."

When asked how the Railways are planning to address the lack of washrooms in engine cabins, Aneesh Hegde, Chief PRO, South Western Railway said Railways is planning to provide waterless urinals in locos. Under trial basis, it is installed in some of the locos."

'Shortage of hands, no replacement'

Although the working hours of a loco pilot is nine hours, it goes on till 11 hours and beyond. For Goods trains, it can go up to 12 to 15 hours.

Besides, staff shortage continues to loom around and Roly informed that 20 per cent of loco pilot vacancies are yet to be filled.

"In 2013, a high-power committee ordered the working hours to be reduced to nine. In 2020, the running duty was reduced to eight hours. But it is yet to be implemented,'' he said. As far as Goods trains are concerned, it is a call duty. "The call is given just one hour early."

The loco pilots have also been asking for increased periodic rest hours, of at least 40 hours as eligible to all working employees in the company, instead of the present 22 to 30 hours.

The erratic working schedules are causing psychosomatic effects on the loco pilots, Roly informed. "They suffer from microsleep phenomena because of no schedule split and continuous night duty, and that can be dangerous."

Babu (name changed) has been working as a loco pilot (Mail). He said each day, the duty hours are different. "There are 3,400 loco pilots in South Western Railway. Every year, although a new train is introduced, posts are not created."

"Loco pilots have unlimited hours of work, there is shortage of hands and no replacement," he added. The sanctioned strength of loco pilots is 1,00,000 but the actual strength is approximately less than 80,000," added Roly

The duty hours of a loco pilot, Aneesh said, is nine hours. "As per norms of the safety, the duty hours are followed strictly in Coaching (Passenger/Mail Express trains). In Goods trains (which are not time-tabled) apart from strict monitoring -- in our control office -- a number of measures are taken to not exceed the limit."

He said with increased electrification, the need for crew change (also, loco change) comes down. "Nearly 72 per cent of SWR territory is electrified. Continuous efforts are on to enhance speed potential of tracks, in last two years, about 1,112 km of tracks in SWR are made fit for 100 or 110 kmph (from 60/70/80/90 kmph) – the enhanced speed reduces transit time for goods trains, reducing the longer hours of duty of loco pilots.

"The doubling and electrification, along with enhancement of track potential have contributed to enhancement of mobility of trains by 53 per cent compared to last year (2021-22), " he added

"Railways also run Crack trains – end to end goods trains on special path (timings) where they are given precedence and not halted at way-side stations for crossing. This enables the train to reach its destination within the prescribed duty hours of the loco pilots. For instance, 1,724 trains were run from Castle Rock to Hosapete bypassing Hubballi (crew change point) a distance of 379 km, in up to eight hours," Aneesh explained.

Weather-unfriendly engine cabins

The cabin situation in extreme weather conditions is nothing to write home about. During rainy seasons, water fills up the cabin and in summer, it's steaming hot.

But now, they have provided some new AC engines, Babu said.

He also highlighted the biggest issue they face -- lack of washrooms in cabins. He said male loco pilots have to relieve themselves outside. "Coaches will be closed at night and the general compartment is always crowded and occupied. The other option is to walk up to the station master's room."

Food for thought

The loco pilots have also been asking for a two to three-minute meal break. Babu said although some loco pilots carry food with them, there is no time to eat.

For beginners, accidents and suicides on tracks can be traumatic, for which no counselling services are offered, he said.

However, Aneesh points out there is regular counselling for loco pilots by their nominated chief loco inspectors. "Families of loco pilots are being called to attend family seminars where social issues are also discussed to address the problems. Psychiatrists are available in our Railway Hospital, for treatment, and counselling in such cases," he said.

Staff shortage or not, trains have to be run

Meanwhile, after a prolonged demand, Railways have done a cadre review. "After the cadre review, Babu said Railways has to fill up 740 posts in Bengaluru and 849 posts in Hubli division.

"The Mysore division is yet to release the order. So one can assume the struggles of loco pilots due to vacancies. People are forced to work extra as the trains have to be run," he said.

The duty time for the loco pilot and assistant loco pilot of goods trains is 12 hours. However, it can exceed 12 hours because of various reasons. "But Good trains are also travelling on the Express line. So if the loco pilot of a Goods train is exhausted and fatigued, that can cause danger to other trains as well," Babu said.

Regular periodic review of crew position is done and position is sent to Railway Ministry for recruitment -- taking into account future requirement also based on future growth in train services/transportation, informed Aneesh adding that as a novel measure, in Hubballi division, they are planning to do a lateral entry from among serving, eligible, medically fit staff of diesel shed (consisting of ITI/diploma holders etc).

Child care leave

Pregnant women get six months of maternity leave and can avail of childcare leave for two years. "But nowadays, for running staff (loco pilots), childcare leave is also denied because of staff shortage," Surabhi said.

Her colleagues have to leave their eight to nine-month-old babies at home when they come to work.

She pointed out sadly how it is the fundamental right of the baby to be fed by the mother. "In normal jobs, mothers can go home at the end of the day and feed babies. We are leaving home and coming back after 72 hours or 60 hours," she said.

Surabhi said they have been raising these issues but their divisional-level officers can't do much because of certain rules. "Only if changes are implemented by the railway board can our issues be solved."