New Crew Rest Rules: Unions Seek Reconsideration from Railway Ministry

Image Source: Amar Ujala

The Railway Ministry’s recent move to standardize outstation rest regulations for train crew has sparked a strong outcry from the All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA), which claims the new rules compromise both worker welfare and railway safety.

Key Highlights:

The Ministry’s circular, issued on June 3, introduces uniform rest periods: 8 hours for those on 8-hour duties, 6 hours for duties between 5–8 hours, and for duties under 5 hours, rest equal to duty hours plus one hour.
All other rest types in the Crew Management System (CMS) are to be disabled, aiming to eliminate discrepancies across railway zones and divisions.
AILRSA has condemned the new rules as “unlawful,” arguing they violate previous ministry directives and the recommendations of the 2016 High Power Committee on Hours of Employment.
The union asserts that rest periods of less than 8 hours are inadequate, as crew members spend significant time on activities like traveling to running rooms, personal hygiene, and meals—leaving insufficient time for actual rest and sleep.

According to AILRSA, the new rest norms risk crew fatigue, potentially reducing alertness and jeopardizing train safety, especially for long outgoing trips.

The union has urged the Ministry to reconsider the decision, emphasizing that adequate rest is not only a matter of safety but also a humanitarian concern for the well-being of railway workers.

The controversy comes amid broader concerns over working conditions, with union leaders warning that the changes could lead to increased fatigue-related incidents and undermine the operational safety of the Indian Railways.

Source: Economic Times, Infra Economic Times, Devdiscourse