New Delhi, April 27:The Ministry of Railways on Sunday clarified that reports suggesting Indian Railways is cutting 30,000 posts are "incorrect" and misleading. Officials emphasized that manpower rationalisation is a routine administrative exercise aimed at improving operational efficiency.
According to the Ministry, the process mainly involves redistributing posts that have become redundant and reallocating them to critical operational and safety-related roles. The exercise is intended to ensure better utilisation of manpower and strengthen safety mechanisms across the railway system.
For the financial year 2025-26, the Ministry stated that several thousand new posts have actually been created in safety-related categories. It confirmed that there is no net reduction in the total sanctioned workforce, contrary to some media reports.
Earlier, on April 22, the All India Track Maintainers Conference was held in Delhi, where Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnav highlighted the government’s focus on enhancing rail operations and track workers’ safety to meet international standards. Speaking to trackmen and railway officials, he outlined plans for a complete overhaul of railway safety and track maintenance over the next 5–8 years, including the adoption of new technologies to replace outdated practices.
Vaishnav acknowledged the contributions of the railway workforce and the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in achieving progress so far. He also noted that, for only the second time in India’s history, the entire Parliament supported railway workers during the recent Budget Session.
While railway accidents have declined by 90% over the past decade, Vaishnav stressed that safety cannot be taken for granted. He pointed out that protecting track maintenance staff working on live lines remains a major challenge.
To address this, the Railways has developed a mobile phone-based safety app, currently under pilot in Southern and Western Railways, to overcome the limitations of the earlier VHF-based Rakshak system, which often failed in areas with hills, curves, or long distances. Vaishnav said that with 4G and 5G connectivity now covering about 95% of the country, gaps will be addressed through additional towers. Once fully deployed, the app will provide personal safety support to all trackmen and key personnel.
“If you are safe, the railway is safe. Your safety is our big responsibility,” Vaishnav emphasized.
