In India, recruitment for loco pilots is done from time to time by the Railway Board to fill the vacant posts. Loco pilot is the one who runs the train engine i.e. locomotive, i.e. the driver of the train. Do you know how many loco pilots there are in India? Indian Railways is one of the most important travel modes of the country. Every day thousands of trains transport lakhs of passengers and goods to their destination.

Loco pilots are needed to run this huge and important system, because if the wheels of the train stop, then the country’s economy is also negatively affected. The question is, do we have as many loco pilots as the number of trains running in India, and if so, what is their number?

Number of loco pilots in Indian Railways

Indian Railways is divided into a total of 19 zones. At present the total number of sanctioned posts for loco pilots in Indian Railways is around 1.47 lakh. That means there should be so many drivers as per the system. But the reality is that at present only about 1.15 lakh loco pilots and assistant loco pilots are doing their duty in the Railways. This means that there is a shortage of about 30,000 loco pilots in the Railways, which is a serious challenge for the Indian Railways.

Recruitment process to fill vacant posts

To fill the vacant posts of Loco Pilots, the Indian Railway Board had issued a recruitment notification for 5,696 posts of Assistant Loco Pilot in January 2024. After this, in June 2024, the number of posts was increased more than three times to 18,799. The examination for this recruitment was conducted on time in 2024.

Timeline of Examination and Selection Process

The first phase of this recruitment i.e. CBT-1 examination was held between 25 to 29 November 2024. More than 22 lakh candidates took part in this examination. The recruitment process will move forward in the year 2025. The results of CBT-1 were declared at the beginning of the year. After this, CBT-2 and computer based aptitude test were completed between August and October 2025. Finally, the final result of the recruitment has been released on 3 November 2025.

Qualification to become a loco pilot

10th + ITI
If you have done ITI after 10th, then you can become an Assistant Loco Pilot, but ITI should be in Electrical, Mechanical and Electronics trade recognized by Railways.

10th + Diploma
If you have done 3 years engineering diploma after 10th, then ITI is not required. Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics and Automobile branches are valid.

BE/B.Tech
Candidates with engineering degree can also become loco pilots. They are considered eligible for the post of Assistant Loco Pilot as well as Technician.

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