Railway Loco Pilot Salary: The person who drives the train is called a loco pilot. To drive it, assistant loco pilots are recruited by the Railway Recruitment Board. Meanwhile, the 8th Pay Commission is in the headlines in terms of salary. In such a situation, many people are curious to know how much the salary of the train driver will increase.
Indian Railways is the fourth largest rail network in the world. Lakhs of employees work to run this network successfully. It is not a small task to take so many passengers to their destination. It requires very good and correct planning. The train driver plays an important role in this. The train driver is called a loco pilot. In such a situation, many people must be wondering how much the salary of the train driver would be, and how much will it increase after the implementation of the 8th Pay Commission?
Today people give first priority to Indian Railways for long journeys. About 3 crore passengers travel daily through Indian Railways. Trains are operated by Indian Railways. In such a situation, the person who has to drive the train. His permission is also given by the railways and he is also given salary by the railways. In such a situation, let us know how to become a loco pilot and how much salary is received?
Recruitment process of loco pilot
First of all, let us tell you that one cannot become a loco pilot through direct recruitment. Initially, candidates are appointed as Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP). After this, they are given rigorous training. Only after gaining training and experience, the candidate gets permission to drive the train as a full-fledged loco pilot. To become a loco pilot in Indian Railways, candidates must be 10th pass. Along with this, it is necessary to have ITI or Diploma (Electrical, Mechanical, Automobile Engineering) from any recognized institute. The age of the candidates should be between 18 to 30 years. Age relaxation is available for reserved category.
Salary of Loco Pilot
The starting salary of Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP) is Rs 19,900 (Level-2). Adding allowances to it, the total salary can be from Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000. At the same time, the salary of Senior Loco Pilot ranges from Rs 35,000 to Rs 55,000. Along with this, the salary of Chief Loco Pilot i.e. experienced driver can reach Rs 60,000 or more.
How much will be the salary on 8th Pay Commission?
There is a possibility of a 20-25 percent increase in salary in the 8th Pay Commission. With this, the starting salary of Assistant Loco Pilot can be around Rs 25,000. At the same time, the salary of experienced loco pilot can reach Rs 70,000 or more.
Separate money is given for overtime
Train drivers also get paid for overtime. Sometimes trains get late. Sometimes they remain standing on the outer. Drivers have to give more time than their duty. In such a situation, loco pilots also get paid for overtime. According to a report, sometimes due to overtime, the salary of a loco pilot reaches up to double.
Is a driving license required to drive a train?
People have to obtain a driving license to drive a car or a bus. Similarly, to fly an airplane, one has to become a pilot. For this, a flying license is required. But no license of any kind is required to drive a train. Its recruitment is done by the Railway Board. These people are given training to drive a train. After this, a test is taken by the Divisional Mechanical Engineer or Divisional Electrical Engineer. People who are successful in this get a competency certificate. After obtaining this certificate, one gets a chance to drive a train.