South Western Railway to Commence Training for 590 New Assistant Loco Pilots in March
The persistent shortage of loco pilots in the South Western Railway (SWR) zone is poised for significant relief as the railway administration prepares to initiate comprehensive training for 590 newly recruited assistant loco pilot (ALP) candidates starting next month. This strategic move follows the completion of the recruitment process by the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB), which selected a total of 1,162 candidates for the SWR zone.
Massive Recruitment Drive to Address Critical Staffing Gap
According to senior SWR officials, the training for these 590 ALP candidates is scheduled to commence by March 15, 2025. This development comes as part of a larger recruitment initiative approved by the Railway Board in June 2024, which authorized the hiring of 1,576 ALPs specifically for the SWR zone. At the time of this decision, the zone had 473 existing ALP vacancies, with the remaining 1,103 positions created as additional posts to meet growing operational demands.
The candidate selection process was successfully concluded last year, paving the way for this crucial training phase. "Already 502 candidates selected under the promotional quota are under training in SWR, and another 70 promotional candidates will join training by February 18," confirmed a senior SWR official in a statement to The Times of India. The remaining candidates will be onboarded progressively as training slots become available.
Alarming Vacancy Statistics Highlight Urgent Need
The scale of the staffing challenge becomes starkly evident when examining current workforce statistics. As of July 2025, the sanctioned strength for loco running staff in the SWR zone stands at 5,142 positions. However, only 3,083 personnel are currently actively working, leaving a substantial gap in operational capacity.
The situation is particularly acute in Karnataka, where 2,059 vacancies exist—representing approximately 40% of the total requirement for loco running staff in the state. This shortage has created operational pressures as the zone has introduced numerous new train services in recent years, significantly increasing the workload for existing loco pilots.
Infrastructure Constraints and Training Challenges
While the recruitment drive represents a positive step forward, railway trainers have identified infrastructure limitations that could impact the training timeline. Currently, SWR possesses training facilities in three key locations: Bengaluru, Hubballi, and Dharwad. These centers provide essential food accommodation and training infrastructure for candidates.
"The training infrastructure is also limited, and it needs to improve if they want to train ALPs faster," noted C Sunish, a former SWR Loco Pilot. "Moreover, loco pilots retire every year or become unfit and hence require urgent replacements."
Once onboarded, ALP candidates will undergo an intensive 85-day training program before being deployed for active duty. This comprehensive training period is essential to ensure safety standards and operational proficiency, but the limited infrastructure capacity means candidates cannot be trained all at once.
Broader Context of Railway Staffing Challenges
The current recruitment and training initiative follows sustained protests that highlighted the critical shortage of loco pilots across the railway network. The Railway Board's June 2024 decision to authorize substantial additional hiring specifically for the SWR zone represented a direct response to these concerns.
The combination of new train introductions within the zone, annual retirements, and medical unfitness cases among existing staff has created a perfect storm of staffing challenges. The ongoing training of promotional candidates alongside newly recruited ALPs represents a multi-pronged approach to addressing these systemic issues.
As the South Western Railway moves forward with this ambitious training schedule, all eyes will be on how effectively the zone can bridge its substantial staffing gap while maintaining safety standards and operational efficiency across its expanding network of services.
