The harrowing life of a loco pilot: No time to eat and sleep
Many even reduce their water intake because they don’t find time to use the toilet while at work.
Join our WhatsApp Community to receive travel deals, free stays, and special offers!
- Join Now -
Join our WhatsApp Community to receive travel deals, free stays, and special offers!
- Join Now -
“If you are travelling safely by trains today, it is because our blood and sweat are burning as fuel,” said Pawan, a goods train loco pilot with the Indian Railways, sitting in the courtyard of his home on the morning of July 17. “Even then, it is difficult to be safe, and I would advise the Indian public not to take train journeys.”
The previous day, Pawan had worked a shift of almost 13 hours, driving a train from starting from 5.15 am. The day before that, too, he had worked a shift of around 14 hours, beginning at 8 am.
He had travelled to and from two stations in Jharkhand about 120 km apart. The journey should have only taken around three hours each way, but it took him 12 hours on the first day and 14 hours on the second, owing to delays along the way.
This was a violation of rules formulated under the Railways Act, 1989. These rules state that the total duration of a loco pilot’s shift should not be more than 11 hours. Further, the “running duty”, or the duration for which a loco pilot drives a train at a stretch, should not exceed nine hours.
