Kollam (Kerala): Indian Railways is preparing to abolish approximately 30,000 posts across the country. The Railway Board has issued directives to General Managers of various zones to eliminate 29,906 posts this year. Northern Railway will see the highest reduction with 3,303 posts scrapped, while Southern Railway is set to lose 1,906 positions.

The cuts primarily target "non-safety" category roles. Each General Manager has been given a target to eliminate 2% of the sanctioned staff strength as of April 1, 2026. This reduction will be achieved through restructuring, surrendering redundant posts, redeployment and transfers. While current permanent employees will not lose their jobs, no new recruitment will be conducted for these abolished positions. For instance, staff in redundant roles like typists will be redeployed as clerks.

Unions launch protests

Labour unions have come out strongly against the move, citing an existing acute shortage of staff. They argue that at a time when new tracks and trains are being introduced—necessitating more personnel—the mass elimination of posts is a clear sign of the Central Government’s push toward privatisation.

The unions allege that the Railways is following a policy of reducing 2% of posts annually, especially as tasks such as AC coach maintenance and rake repairs are increasingly being outsourced to private contractors. The Railway Board has mandated that all redeployments and post eliminations must be processed strictly through the HRMS portal.

Over 3.5 lakh vacancies nationwide

Due to the central policy of eliminating 2% of posts annually, over 350,000 positions currently lie vacant across Indian Railways. In Southern Railway alone, there are approximately 20,000 vacancies. The shortages are most severe in railway hospitals, housekeeping, AC mechanics and electrical departments.

The standard practice has become surrendering these vacant posts rather than filling them. While zones may not always hit the full 2% target, over 1% of posts are consistently eliminated each year. Crucially, even in the "safety" category where posts are not officially being cut, unions point out that new recruitments are not keeping pace with the number of retiring employees.