By Chandran Iyer
We all have our bad days at work—unreasonable deadlines, overbearing bosses, long meetings that could’ve been emails. But before you declare your job the worst in the world, pause and think of the unsung heroes driving India’s massive railway network: the Loco Pilots.
Imagine doing your job for eight hours straight without a bathroom break. No stop for food, no relief for nature’s call, and no stepping out to stretch your legs. Sounds inhuman? That’s the everyday reality for Indian Loco Pilots.
In a recent decision, the Indian Railways officially rejected the long-standing demand of Loco Pilots for scheduled breaks to eat meals or attend to basic human needs. A high-level committee concluded that giving such breaks was “not operationally feasible.”
Yes, the same system that carries millions safely across the country every single day expects its frontline workers to drive high-speed trains with zero breaks—for six, sometimes even seven hours at a stretch. For instance, consider the Tamil Nadu Express: a crew takes over at Vijayawada at 11:10 p.m. and runs the train non-stop till 6:35 a.m. the next morning. No bathroom, no food, just full throttle till the end of the journey.
And if that wasn’t tough enough, Indian Railways has also installed voice and video recording systems inside locomotive cabins, claiming it will help in post-accident analysis. Many Loco Pilots see this as constant surveillance and a violation of their privacy. Some even report being reprimanded for yawning or their posture during long runs—accused of not being ‘alert enough.’
Now imagine being a woman in that situation. With no access to toilets and no scope for unscheduled stops, the discomfort turns into quiet suffering.
The All India Loco Running Staff Association (AILRSA) has called the recent decisions “unrealistic and inhumane.” They argue that with the increase in train speeds from 110 to 130 kmph, the job has become even more demanding. Yet no official job evaluation was done to understand the rising stress levels. More speed. More responsibility. Same old neglect.
So the next time you grumble about your office coffee or those Monday blues, remember: there are people whose jobs require not just skill and precision, but superhuman endurance. And while you may be dreaming of quitting, someone else may still be dreaming of the job you have.
If you’re truly unhappy in your profession, the answer is not to curse your fate—but to find your path elsewhere with dignity. Because even in discomfort, there’s always someone out there holding the line—without a break, without a complaint.
