Railways are one of the areas where most of the people concentrate to have a job in the government sector. When you are looking for the post of loco pilot you need to write an exam for the assistant loco pilot and clear them. Later, after you join and work for a few years you will be promoted as the senior assistant loco pilot. Later you can be promoted as the loco pilot. When you have some more years of experience as a loco pilot you will be promoted as the Power Controller, Crew Controller, and Loco Fireman.
What does an Assistance Loco Pilot do?
The level that you are joining as Assistant Loco Pilot post is under Group ‘C’. When Indian railways are considered as the most important post is the Assistant Loco Pilot (ALP). The people in this post need to help the driver during the time of running. It is necessary to be concentrated in work for a long time and also they should be able to respond quickly. Further, you will have responsibilities in sending signals, assisting seniors for minor repairing during the running and also ensure the proper functioning of the train.
Who can appear for the job?
The candidates who have completed the matriculation or equivalent qualification in any stream from the authorized board or university are eligible for applying for the post of Assistant Loco Pilot. Also, the candidates should have completed Act Apprentice or diploma in Electronics/ Electricals/ Automobile/ Mechanical engineering or ITI pass from any of the institution that is recognized by AICE.
Age limit for assistant loco pilot
The candidates with sufficient education qualification and lying in the age limit of 18 to 28 years may apply for the post of Assistant Loco Pilot. For the candidates under the category of Sc/ ST/ OBC/ PWD/ ExSM will have some age relaxation with the upper age limit according to the rules of the central government.
How are the right candidates selected?
The selection of the eligible candidates are completely based on their performance in
- Academic Records
- First Stage Computer Based Test (CBT 1)
- Second Stage Computer Based Test (CBT 2)
- Computer-Based Aptitude Test (CBAT)
- Documents verification
In CBT 1 the candidates need to answer 75 questions in 60 minutes. In CBT 2 the candidates need to attend both part A and part B, in Part A the candidates need to answer 100 questions in 90 minutes whereas in part B the candidates need to answer 75 questions in 60 minutes. If there are any negative answers there will be a penalty of 1/3 marks and this is applicable for both the stages.
If the candidates clear both CBT 1 and CBT 2 they will be called for the Computer-Based Aptitude Test (CABT) and if the candidate is qualified in that test he or she can enter into the final round of the RRB loco pilot selection process of document verification. If the documents verification process is successful the candidates are successful and he or she is eligible for the post of Assistant Loco Pilot.
Medical tests
It is expected that the loco pilot should have some level of medical fitness and good health. The level of the physical strength should be the same as the person who is a pilot in the airplane. To ensure the physical strength the candidates need to go through the following tests of railways loco pilot.
- Vision test
- Chest x-ray
- Hearing test
- ECG
- Diabetes test
- Ishihara test for color blindness
- Blood pressure check-up
As the job of the loco pilot is not easy, you will need to drive the train for the stretch of 100 km sometimes. You will also need to handle some pressure and your mind should be stable and concentrated. So if you are a person with any such physical disorder it is better to get well before you try or you may try for the job or you may look for some other job.
The process of training
Once the candidate passes the entire following test he or she is eligible for the job and recruited as the Assistant Loco Pilot in the Indian Railways. They will be sent to the Zonal Training Centers to get trained on the technical and operative aspects of the locomotive in running.
During the process of training, the candidates will be provided with the book on General and Subsidiary Rules. The book is actually the manual that contains all the required list of rules and regulations laid by the organization. Even after they are on board of their job they will be given training at least once in three years so that they can be updated.
Onboard
As mentioned earlier, initially the candidates are at the post of the Assistant Loco Pilot and here they will have the chance to learn from the senior loco pilot. Here, they will complete on the techniques of operations and certain specific knacks in that job role. They also have some other job responsibilities like
- Checking the brake condition and availability of oil
- Checking rapier of the book of the train and for any other remark
- Checking the train completely right from starting from yard
- Checking for the station halt, level crossing, and signals
- Process an awareness in the emergency procedures
- It is more important to take care of the safety of the pilots
If you are highly passionate towards the profession and if you are interested to move high faster here are the opportunities that you might have.
- Shunting Loco Pilot: The person in the post need to manage the formation of passenger and good train with their shunting like attaching and detaching of the wagons or coaches in the yard
- Loco Pilot- Passenger: He or she is the one who operates the train at 100km/h
- Loco Pilot- Goods: He or she is the one who operates the goods train at the speed of 75km/h. Generally, the goods train will carry a load of 5,100
- Loco Pilot – Mail/ Express: He or she will need to operate passenger train at the speed of 110 km/h or more than that. The train will be super fast like the Rajdhani Express that moves at the speed of 120 to 160 km/h
If you are focusing the job with sufficient intensity and if you expertise the technical aspects and qualify in some internal exams it is possible to have good growth.
What does the job offer?
The role of the loco pilot is a bit harder so it needs some career security and handsome remuneration. It is expected that 7th pay commission norms will offer a salary of around 35,000 per month for the loco pilot. They will also have some additional advantages of free travel, insurance coverage and several other medical benefits.
Of course! There are some risks associated with any of the jobs that you opt for. If you are a person look for some adventures on a journey you can definitely choose the professional of the loco pilot. Also, do not forget that the post of the loco pilot is the most respected one. Be wise in choosing your passion, make the right selection and keep chasing your dreams!
We are sure this article from CareerJobs360 will help you to understand about Tip to have victory in the Loco Pilot