Destination anywhere!

In the 148 years of its existence, the growth of Indian Railways has been phenomenal. From modest beginnings to becoming the largest employer in the world, the railways have come to symbolise an India in microcosm.

INDIAN Railways is the largest employer in the world carrying millions of travellers and cargo to their destinations everyday. Introduced by the British in 1853, the Indian Railways has grown to become Asia's second largest and the world's third largest state-owned railway system.

The basic logistics of this mode of transportation has remained unchanged till date. With a total route length of over 62.3 thousand kilometres it covers all cities and most towns and villages in our country.

Re-organisation

After taking into account the quantum of workload handled by each zone and the traffic flows, a reorganisation of the geographical jurisdiction of zones and divisions was carried out as recently as in 1996.

The Indian Railway network comprises of nine zones that are directly controlled by the Railway Board, which is at the helm of all the operations. Each zone is headed by a general manager. The posts and promotions differ slightly as per the selection grade.

When an officer reaches the senior administrative grade, he or she is given the post of Chief Commercial/Operations Superintendent.

The Indian Railway

Traffic Service (IRTS)

This division of the Indian Railways looks after transportation and its commercial aspects.

The branch is further divided into two divisions:

The commercial division: that handles all matters commercial - ticket checking, catering, administration and management of stations, reservation, platform announcements etc.

The operations division: that deals with controlling the movement of trains. Keeping track of the incoming and outgoing trains, detachment or attachment of wagons, etc.

Engine Drivers & Guards

The Railway Recruitment Board conducts examination for the supervisory and the worker level posts in the Indian Railways. To become engine drivers or diesel electrical assistants as they arecalled, the candidate must have passed Matriculation or its equivalent and also hold a certificate from the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) that come under the National Council for Vocational Training in any one of the following trades like: fitter, turner, mechanist, electrician, instrument mechanist, AC and refrigeration mechanic, millwright/maintenance mechanic, mechanic (Radio and TV), electronic mechanic, mechanic motor vehicle, wireman, tractor mechanic, mechanic (Diesel), tool and die maker, steel metal worker armature or coilwinder, heat engine mechanic.

According to a recent decision Diploma holders in electrical, electronics and mechanical engineering can also apply for this post. Prerequisites are good eye vision- should be normal without glasses. The candidate should not be physically handicapped or suffer from colour or night blindness and should not have binocular vision.

For the post of guards and assistant stationmasters any graduate may apply. These candidates coming under Group C have to clear a 2-stage, written, competitive exam.

The syllabus for the written examination are generally in conformity with the educational standard for the post. The objective type exam tests general knowledge, general English and/or general Hindi, General Intelligence, Mathematics and /or the concerned subject for technical posts.

Ticket Examiner:

To become a ticket examiner /collector with the railways it is necessary to have completed schooling (class10). The candidate must also be fluent in the local language and should be able to speak Hindi. He should be willing to travel everyday as the job is on the train!

India Railway Accounts Service

All the accounting and finance operations of the Indian railways is handled by this department. Working in this branch would entail dealing with financial transactions so a thorough knowledge of accounting procedures and related practices would prove an asset for officers who opt for this branch.

A senior grade officer is given the charge of a zone and the post of a Financial Advisor-cum-Chief Accounts Officer. At this level an officer carries the overall responsibility of accounts for the whole zone.

Indian Railway

Personnel Service

All matters related to the personnel section like selection, promotions, training, welfare activities, transfers, increments, disciplinary actions and the like are handled by the professionals in this department.

Railway Protection Service/ Railway Protection Force

The RPS is responsible for the maintenance of law and order on trains and on premises owned and used by the Indian railways.

Railway Engineering Services

This is the technical wing of the railway services and is involved in activities like construction and planning of railway tracks, bridges and buildings. The various branches in this division are Indian Railway Service of electrical engineers and the Indian Railway Service of mechanical engineers.

Entry

Employment in the railways is categorised into different services. These divisions have been made on the basis of different areas of specialisation.

Entry into the railways is based on competitive examinations held by the Union Public Service Commission. To be considered for employment in the railways, a candidate has to clear the Combined Civil Services Examination and an allied examination for the railways. For employees who are recruited through the Combined Civil Services Examination, no particular discipline is specified at the graduate level. However for the Railway Engineering Services an engineering degree or its equivalent is a must.

Training

The Railway Engineering Services recruits are trained at five centralised training institutes. For selecting mechanical engineers a Special Class Railway Apprenticeship Examination is held and the chosen candidates are given a four-year probationary training.

Growth prospects

Just like any other government service, Indian Railways offer a secure and meaningful career. With the modernisation of the railways, adding of new routes, converting of narrow and meter gauge to broad, electrifying new lines and computerising operating systems, there will continue to be a demand for all categories of personnel with skills to meet the challenges of the future.

Attributes

A person working in this field should have the willingness to work in a predetermined hierarchy. Unlike the private sector, hierarchy is adhered to quite closely in the government sector. As the railway network extends to cover the length and breadth of the country, its employees are always on the move. So a person should be prepared to spend time away from home or relocate while on assignments and postings.

The railway employees are responsible for the safety of the passengers and their belongings and this sense of responsibility should govern each and every action of a railway employee. In the course of their duty, the employees will have to interact with many people, so they should be flexible enough to be able to adapt to different situations, different people and should be wizards in crisis management.

Remuneration

Remuneration for railway officers is fixed by the government and follows the pattern of all the other civil services. Employees are entitled to benefits like attractive travel allowances, educational facilities, housing facilities, pension, health care and free railway passes among other things.

Remuneration for group "A" officers ranges from Rs. 9,000 to Rs. 13,500 per month at entry level. Group "B" employees are paid between Rs.5,500 to Rs. 9,000 per month.

With over 63,000 kilometers route length and more than 7,000 stations, the railways has served as an integrating force in India's growth and development.

MALINI SURYANARAYANAN

maalini.mds@careercommunity.co.in