Over 13,977 posts vacant as Southern Railway faces major staff shortage

Thrissur: Southern Railway is grappling with a severe staff shortage as 13,977 posts remain vacant across various divisions. Interstingly, 22 percent of these positions are reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST). Many vacancies in the security department remain unfilled apart from vacancies on Station Master, Guard, Pointsman, Locopilot, Signal Section, and Gateman.

Employees have voiced serious concerns about the non-filling of security positions, emphasising that this directly compromises the safety of the railway network. The heavy workload on existing staff, especially those in crucial roles, has intensified, as they cannot leave their duty without a replacement. Moreover, several of these unfilled posts are being phased out after a five-year period, leading to further strain on the system.

The Southern Railway had 1,20,000 sanctioned posts five years ago. However, this number has dropped significantly, with the sanctioned strength now reduced to 94,727. Currently, only 80,750 employees are on duty. Compounding the issue, the number of monthly retirements is steadily rising, worsening the staffing crisis.

Employees question why vacant posts are not being filled, despite the increasing number of passengers and carriages in operation. 

The employee distribution across the six major track divisions of Southern Railway is as follows: