• Secure job and hence a stable career.
• Railway offers residential quarters to its employees. Most of the staff live in these residential quarters within railway colonies that have all the handiness that the residents need.
• Employees are entitled to avail the facility of subsidized meals and refreshments at any of the Railway canteens all over the country.
• Railway has its own school and colleges for the children of the employees. The children get passes for free travel for the whole family.
• Railway employees get free medical care in Railway hospitals.
• There are recreational facilities and sporting events.
• Athletes can use the Sports Quota to gain entry into the Indian Railways, otherwise not available in private firms.
• Last but not least, the salary structure is also pretty good for railway employees (Rs. 80,000 – 90,000 per month for Class 1 / Group A officers, Rs. 50,000 for Group B officers, Rs. 20,000+ for Group C employees, and Rs. 10,000 – 18,000 for Group D staff) along with other perks like HRA, medical, transport, etc.
• So, it’s very simple to understand why so many youths dream of a railway job in India. However, there are a few disadvantages as well.

To pursue a career in railways, there are ample opportunities available in the government sector. A number of govt jobs in railways offer opportunities to students looking for a career in this field. The movements of the trains are operated by the operations department and it includes several jobs of inspectors and supervisors at control offices and stations. The qualified candidates are trained for two years at Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration in Missouri.

During the third year, job training followed by clearance of departmental examinations gives a confirmed post as officers Assistant Operations Superintendent (AOS) or as Assistant Commercial Superintendent (ACS) at the Divisional Headquarters. Promotions and experience can lead to the post of Operations Manager or Senior Divisional Commercial Managers and the topmost position as Operations or Commercial Chief Managers at the Zonal Level.

Engineers or technical graduates are appointed at the post of railway officers and have worked in fields such as planning, construction, maintenance, and installation of railway tracks, buildings, and bridges. Individuals can also clear the Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE), Indian Railway Service of Signal Engineers (IRSSE), and Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME).

The finances and accounts of the railways are handled by large personnel that is appointed through Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS). This service provides opportunities for students with mathematics and accounts backgrounds. Finance managers, management students, and Chartered Accountants can avail themselves of prestigious job opportunities.

Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) provides job opportunities for thousands of officers that are employed in work related to staff welfare activities, recruitment, training, promotion, informing and transfer of staff, and other departments’ related activities. Individuals interested in police personnel can work as a paramilitary force through Railway Protection Service. Railways are the largest operating public sector industry in the country and require proper planning for it to flourish. Indian Railway Stores Services deals with the activities related to the five-year plan of the railways.

Other job opportunities include clerical jobs as that at the ticket counter or Ticket Inspectors. Railways also recruit students after twelfth class and diploma holders at grade C and D posts.

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The diversity of jobs available in the Railways has different posts and pay scales. Education and experience add to the salary hike. There are four groups D, C, B, A of the railway staff with a different salary structure. After the 6th Pay Commission, the salaries hiked to a great extent.  For the D level, the staffs are cleaners, guards and they get 7000 INR at entry-level grade pay per month, while for the C group employees, the salaries range from Rs. 7,730 – Rs. 18,150 per month.

For B group officers (technicians, ticket collectors, junior engineers), the salaries range from 21000-30000 INR per month and for the group A officers (IRAS, IRPS, IRSSE) the pay scale range from 46000- 53000 INR per month. Apart from the salaries, the employees are also given perks and bonuses. After the seventh pay commission, predicted to be implemented since January 2016, the salaries are estimated to hike by 23.55 percent.

Career Pros Details

• IRTS: Government jobs are secure with benefits like housing allowance, living quarters, transport allowance, abundant leaves, medical benefits, and more
• The Grade A officer positions are quite competitive and extremely prestigious. They are “Gazette” officers with considerable administrative powers.
• Salaries, especially after the 6th and 7th pay commissions, are quite competitive. There is also a lot more opportunity for building your savings, given the tax-free housing allowances and other remunerative benefits.
• Athletes can use the Sports Quota to gain entry into the Indian Railways, otherwise not available in private firms.

Career Cons Details

• Chances of job growth is not as directly related to merit as it is in the private sector. Often senior employees, without deserving credibility, get promoted before the more deserving newer employees.
• Being a transferrable job, family stability is often disrupted keeping spouses from having a stable constant job in one place. Children too have to shuttle between transferred locations, adding to the stress of frequent uprooting.
• Bureaucracy is rampant. Simple tasks may take months to approve leading to repeated hindrance to work progress.
• The nature of Railway jobs can be demanding on your routine. “Work Shifts” are not conventional, often invading personal family space.

1. Specialised knowledge. In the current rail-engineering climate, employers can afford to be picky about what they expect from applicants, and they’re seeking a detailed knowledge of design standards, including BS, HA, and NR. This offers employers reassurance about cross-disciplinary standards and allows for coordinated work by different teams, and you may be able to bring your knowledge up to par by taking a short course in the specific standards you want to work with.

2. Project managing qualifications. The qualifications in demand at this time appear to be Prince2 and the Association for Project Management’s APMP. These courses are offered through many different institutions, including universities and training companies. This type of qualification can enhance your salary and give you a good chance to move up the ladder, and courses tend to be short and cost-effective.

3. Computer skills. Experience with the programmes used within the rail projects you hope to work on will be an important asset to your application. AutoCAD, Intergraph, and MicroStation are all used on the frontline of rail engineering and it could be of great benefit to your career to explore opportunities to become competent in all three.

4. Big Data expertise. Knowledge and understanding of Big Data are becoming increasingly useful within the engineering industry, and rail engineering is no exception. The potential for Big Data to revolutionise this area is unpredictable at present, but experts believe it to be crucial to the future of all sectors of engineering. Familiarising yourself with this new concept can be done gently, using charting software, or intensively, via post-graduate programmes, so you can choose the level you wish to engage at.

5. Experience with Hazop analysis. Hazard and operability study skills are vital assets if you’re seeking a project-engineering job. This level of specialism relates to risk and hazard perception, and you can access short courses via Chris Mee Group, which will increase your employability in certain sectors of rail engineering.