The starting Salary of an Indian Railway Driver (Loco Pilot Salary) is INR 1.5 LPA. With the in-hand Salary, there are several perks and allowances given to them. The average Salary of an Indian railway loco pilot will increase with experience and job role. The overall pay of a railway loco pilot working under the Indian Railway is INR 6 LPA, while the Salary of the loco pilot of metro rail is INR 3 LPA.
Who are the Loco Pilots (Railway Drivers)?
A loco pilot is responsible for running trains and ensuring that they may be maintained effectively and efficiently at some stage in transportation. It is a senior job in the department of Indian Railways. There are specific eligibility criteria set by Railways that candidates should meet to become eligible for Loco Pilots jobs.
Work of Loco Pilot
A loco pilot is a professional responsible for running, working, and maintaining trains. They are responsible for examining, getting ready reports, troubleshooting problems, and running the train engines. Aspiring loco pilots begin their careers as assistants. Then, after gaining work experience and necessary information, they boost their careers. A loco pilot follows each guideline, railway concept, and rules controlling the operation. Loco pilots also are responsible for searching for the protection of passengers as well as security at some stage in education operations.
Loco Pilot Eligibility Criteria
Candidates who want to get jobs as loco pilots must be between 18 and 28 years old. However, as per government policies, there’s an age relaxation given to reserved class candidates (Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes/Other Backward Classes/Persons with Disabilities/Ex-servicemen).
Also, the candidate must be an Indian, Nepalese, Bhutanese, or Tibetan refugee arriving in India earlier than January 1, 1962, for permanent residence. Medical tests are conducted to make sure that candidates who apply for the loco pilot role meet the necessary fitness requirements, which encompass a hearing test and some other tests.
Average Salary for a Loco Pilot
The average salary of a loco pilot is 6 LPA. A loco pilot’s starting pay is typically INR 1.50 LPA, and it progressively rises as experience and talent are accomplished. In India, a loco pilot may make as much as INR 10 LPA. 4 years of experience might earn a loco pilot between INR 4 and 5 LPA in Loco Pilot Salary.
The starting average Salary of a Loco Pilot with an ITI diploma is INR 1 LPA, while the starting Loco Pilot Salary for a loco pilot with a B. Tech (Mechanical) diploma is INR 4 LPA. A Loco Pilot’s Salary is in most cases decided through their level of qualification. The high Salary for a loco pilot with 8 to 10 years of experience is between INR 8 – 10 LPA.
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Loco Pilot Salary Structure
A Loco Pilot Salary Slip includes base pay, allowances, and extra benefits. The following tab indicates the loco pilot salary scale.
| RRB ALP Salary | Pay in INR |
|---|---|
| Pay scale | 20,500/month |
| Dearness Allowances | 1,066 |
| House Rent Allowances | 2,132 |
| Transport Allowances | 936 |
| Night Duty Allowances | 2,012 |
| AR-T/ AL-C | 36 |
| KMA | 13,707 |
| Net Salary | 3,032 |
| Net Salary | 37,714/month |
Experience-Wise Loco Pilot Salary
Check the experience-wise loco pilot salary from the table given below
| Based on Experience | Average Annual Salary (in ₹) |
|---|---|
| 0 – 3 Years | ₹3,20,000 |
| 4 – 9 Years | ₹4,90,000 |
| 10 – 20 Years | ₹5,50,000 |
Loco Pilot Salary Organization Wise
A loco pilot’s Salary varies depending on the company where they are posted. The Salary of a central authority loco pilot is better than that of a personal quarter worker. The Salary of a loco pilot in the company is given below.
| Organization | Average Annual Salary (INR) |
|---|---|
| Indian Railways | 6 L |
| Hyderabad Metro rail | 3 L |
| Gangavaram Port | 4 L |
| RITES | 2.5 L |
| JSW Steels | 3 L |
Loco Pilot Salary and Job Profile
The designation of loco pilot will increase as years of experience and technical skill boom. The following table shows the Loco Pilot’s Salary through designation. The numerous process profiles and the yearly Salary of a loco pilot are shown in the table.
| Type of loco pilot | Average Salary | Junior Salary | Senior Salary | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Job description | Salary details | ||||
| Senior Loco Pilot | 50000 | 40000 | 70000 | They are responsible for several activities like signaling, maintaining appropriate loco operation, and aiding seniors with minor repairs while the loco is in operation. | They may earn up to Rs. 40 LPA on average. The starting Salary of a Senior loco pilot is more than Rs. 5 LPA, rising to more than Rs. 8 LPA. |
| Assistant Loco Pilot | 30000 | 20000 | 50000 | They are in charge of giving out the signal, perfecting the loco, and doing routine maintenance on the loco. They are also responsible for providing information, ensuring the correct running of the loco, and aiding seniors with basic maintenance as needed while working. | On the basis of experience, the entry-level Salary might be as high as 3 LPA, rising to above 6 LPA. |
Loco Pilot Salary – City Wise
| Name of the City | Average Annual Salary (in ₹) |
|---|---|
| Kolkata | Rs 3,60,000 |
| Visakhapatnam | Rs 3,30,000 |
| Rourkela | Rs 2,80,000 |
| Bhubaneswar | Rs 3,10,000 |
| Hyderabad | Rs 5,00,000 |
Salary of Loco Pilot after 7th Pay commission
RRB ALP salaries have been increased after the 7th pay fee. Below is a table of the complete structure of the Loco Pilot Salary after the 7th pay fee:
| Loco pilot profiles | Earlier Monthly Salary (INR) | Monthly Salary after 7th pay commission (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant loco pilot | 13,000 | 25,000 |
| Loco pilot (mail) | 45,000 | 60,000 |
| Loco pilot (goods) | 22,000 | 40,000 |
| Loco pilot (Passenger trains) | 15,000 | 28,000 |
| Shunting loco pilot | 50,000 | 70,000 |
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Loco Pilot Salary Compensation
Loco Pilot Salary repayment consists of basic pay as well as various benefits. The following table lists the compensation given to loco pilots.
| Allowances name | Monthly Allowances (INR) |
|---|---|
| Dearness allowance | 1,066 |
| House lease allowances | 2,132 |
| Transport allowances | 936 |
| Night obligation allowances | 2,012 |
Loco Pilot Salary in India vs US Salary: A Comparison
A Loco Pilot in the United States earns significantly more than a Loco Pilot in India. While in the US, Loco Pilot receives an average salary of $61,703, in India, Loco Pilots receive average monthly income of INR 50,000. The difference between the salaries in the US and India is due to the difference in the standard of living, cost, industry regulations, education and qualification, demand and supply of Loco pilots, and more. Several other factors such as work setting, schedule, overtime compensations, and specializations also affect the salary difference.
Loco Pilot Allowances & Benefits
The loco pilot works under the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) and is entitled to numerous allowances and benefits, that affect their overall pay structure. These are some of the major allowances and benefits of a loco pilot.
- House Rent Allowance (HRA): The House Rent Allowance is provided to Loco Pilots to help in meeting accommodation costs based on the location of duty.
- Dearness Allowance(DA): It is paid to alleviate the economic pressures generated by surging costs of living, which stay done by every rising inflation.
- Traveling Allowance (TA): Loco pilots receive transport allowance to and from their workplace.
- Running Allowance: Loco pilots get a Running Allowance based on the total distance they have traveled while on duty.
- Home City and All India Travel Allowances: Loco pilots receive this allowance to travel within their home city and across India.
- Medical facilities: Loco pilots and their dependents are granted complimentary medical services at Railway and Empanelled Hospitals, ensuring they receive immediate and proper healthcare.
- Free Railway tickets for family members: Another benefit Loco pilot receives is free railway tickets for family members for travel on specified routes.
- Leave entitlements: Loco Pilots are entitled to a total of around 30 days of annual leave, 12 days of casual leave, and about 30 days of half-pay or medical leave.
- Gratuity: A gratuity payment is a token of appreciation for their long and dedicated service.
New Pension Scheme (NPS): To secure their financial future after retirement, a 10% deduction from the salary of Loco Pilot is allocated to the New Pension Scheme announced by the government.
How to Become a Loco Pilot in the Railway?
Here is how aspiring loco pilots can pursue their dream of getting a job in India’s railway sector
1) Complete 10+2 Board Examinations
Aspiring applicants must have cleared their Class XI or an equal direction from a recognized board. They must get at least 50% marks in English, Physics, Mathematics, Mechanics, Electronics, and Computers. They’ll begin their career as assistant loco pilots earlier than becoming loco pilots.
After clearing the 10+2 board examinations, applicants should clear the diploma engineering entrance exam, which covers numerous streams, which include electronics engineering, mechanical engineering, car engineering, or electric engineering, to qualify for the loco pilot role.
2) Diploma Degree
An aspiring candidate can also pursue a degree or degree in railway engineering. It’ll help the candidate understand the job responsibilities, rules, and guidelines.
3) Associate Degree
A candidate needs to also meet eligibility standards primarily based on the organization for which they are applying for the bachelor’s diploma.
The RRB ALP (Railway Recruitment Board Assistant Loco Pilot) exam is performed to select candidates for the Indian Railways. Candidates need to sit for the computer-based test (CBT 1 and CBT 2 Exam) and the laptop-based aptitude test (CBAT) to be selected for the ALP role.
4) ITI Programmes
Candidates need to additionally complete an ITI (Industrial Training Institute) application from a recognized educational group approved via the National Council for Vocational Training or a Country Council for Vocational Education.
Also, they may pursue engineering courses from an AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) accredited institute with specialization in electronic, electrical, loco, or mechanical engineering fields. The common Salary of an ITI in India is between ₹1.2 lakhs to ₹4.8 lakhs yearly.
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Qualifications for a Loco Pilot (Railway Driver) in India
These are the qualifications to become a Loco Pilot (Railway Driver) in India:
| Course Name | Provided By | Average Fees (INR) | Average Annual Salary (INR) |
| Engineering Diploma | Department of Automobile Engineering, A.P.C. Ray Polytechnic Kolkata, Aligarh Muslim University, etc. | 10k – 5 LPA | 7 lakh |
| Apprenticeship Course | NSDC ( National Skill Development Corporation ) | 15k – 1.50 LPA | 1.5 lakh |
| ITI Program | ACMT ITI College in Delhi, Government Industrial Training Institute, etc. | 1k – 9k | 1.8 lakh |
Skills Required to Become a Loco Pilot in India
To become a Loco Pilot in India, apart from qualifications some additional skills would help:
- Loco Pilots need to work for an extended time period, hence physical strength is required.
- Technical capabilities are important as they must work in mechanical or scientific activities.
- Loco pilots need to be attentive and responsive.
- They might need to make quick and precise decisions, so they must be able to comprehend the situation, consider every possible outcome, and make decisions.
- Physical strength is also required to be prepared to transport machines in case if it’s required.
Challenges For Loco Pilot
Although the Loco Pilot enjoys various allowances and benefits, they also face various challenges, which are:
- Loco pilots frequently put in long shifts with few breaks, which negatively affects their physical and emotional health.
- Sleep patterns and personal lives are disrupted by irregular job schedules, including night shifts.
- Significant stress might result from the enormous pressure to ensure passenger safety during train operations.
- Performance might be impacted by inadequate rest areas and restricted access to healthy meals during lengthy trips.
- Stress levels might rise when decision-making authority is restricted under urgent circumstances.
- Rigorous schedules make it difficult to balance work and personal obligations.
- Inadequate staffing levels can also result in more work for individual loco pilots.
- It can be extremely dangerous to operate trains in inclement weather, such as intense rain, intense heat, or fog.
- Stress at work can lead to physical and mental health issues like anxiety, hypertension, and exhaustion.
- Due to irregular work hours, they face difficulty in managing family life which leads to strain on personal relationships.
Top Colleges to Pursue a Career as a Loco Pilot in India
Here are a number of the top colleges that provide top-notch engineering courses to become loco pilots in India
| Name of the University | Name of the City | NIRF Ranking 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Institute of Technology Bombay | Mumbai | 4 |
| Indian Institute of Science Bangalore | Bengaluru | 2 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Delhi | New Delhi | 3 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras | Chennai | 1 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur | Kharagpur | 6 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur | Kanpur | 5 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati | Guwahati | 7 |
| Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee | Roorkee | 8 |
| University of Hyderabad | Hyderabad | 10 |
| University of Delhi | New Delhi | 22 |
Conclusion
Railway drivers, called loco pilots, experience an average beginning salary of INR 1.5 LPA in India, with perks and benefits. Their salary grew with experience, reaching a median of INR 6 LPA. It’s a coveted profession in Indian Railways, providing balance and career growth opportunities.
FAQ’s
Q1: What is Loco pilot salary per month?
The average Loco pilot salary per month is INR 50,000.
Q2: Can 12th pass apply loco pilot?
Yes, 12th-pass students can apply to become a loco pilot. They must appear for the diploma in engineering entrance exam.
Q3: What is the job hour of Loco pilot?
According to Section 132 (2) of the Railway Act, 1989, the average duty hours of a Loco pilot are 54 hours over a two-weekly period of 14 days for staff working under the Continuous category.
Q4: What is Loco Pilot starting salary in India per month?
The Loco Pilot starting salary in India per month is INR 19,900.
Q5: What is Loco pilot salary in US vs India?
The Loco Pilot salary in US is $61,703, while the Loco Pilot salary in India is INR 50,000. This big difference in amount is due to differences in cost and standard of living, industry regulations, experience, and qualifications.