Indian Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav told Parliament on Wednesday that in the last 12 years, Indian Railways has provided employment to more than five lakh people. He said in the Lok Sabha that from 2014 to June 2026, 5.56 lakh people were recruited in the Railways. This includes appointments to different posts. During this period, 50,485 people were given jobs in Southern Railway. Comparing it with the UPA tenure, the Railway Minister informed that between 2004-05 to 2013-14, there was a UPA coalition government led by Congress. During this period 4.11 lakh people were recruited.
The Railway Minister made it clear that people are recruited in Railways as per the need of different zones and Railway recruitment examinations are conducted on a large scale. Despite this, Railways has always conducted the examinations in a transparent manner following the prescribed guidelines. Ashwini Vaishnav told in the House that due to changes in technology with time, people’s needs keep changing. Keeping this in mind, recruitment is done on different posts.
One TTE is responsible for maximum five AC coaches.
Nanded Congress MP Ravindra Vasantrao Chavan, raising the issue of workload on TTEs, had asked whether under the current system, additional TTEs travel in Northern Railway trains, especially in train number 22401/22402 operating between Sarai Rohilla in Delhi and Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir. Vaishnav said that as per the new guidelines, one TTE is deployed for a maximum of five AC coaches or three ‘chair car’ or ‘sleeper’ coaches. The Railway Minister said, “How many TTEs will be deployed in a train depends on the number and type of coaches in it.” This enables proper utilization of the existing staff and helps in providing proper assistance to passengers along with ticket checking.” He said that administrative guidelines have been issued from time to time to ‘Zonal’ Railways to adopt measures for better utilization of staff.
No record of earnings from canceled tickets
The Railway Minister said that Indian Railways does not maintain zone-wise records of income from canceled and waiting tickets. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, said that the cancellation charges and deadlines applicable to tickets for Vande Bharat Sleeper Express and Amrit Bharat Express trains are different from the rules applicable to other trains. He gave information about the rules for cancellation of tickets of other trains in the form of a table.
When and how much refund will be given if the ticket is cancelled?
Vaishnav also informed about the rules applicable to cancellation of ‘confirmed’ tickets of Vande Bharat Sleeper Express and Amrit Bharat Express trains. According to the reply, if the confirmed ticket is canceled at least 72 hours before the scheduled departure of the train, 25 percent of the fare is deducted. If it is canceled between 72 hours to eight hours in advance, 50 percent of the fare is deducted and if the ticket is canceled less than eight hours before the scheduled departure of the train, no money is refunded. (With PTI inputs)
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