The Ministry of Railways has dismissed reports claiming that Indian Railways is set to abolish around 30,000 jobs, stating that the interpretation is “incorrect and misleading.”
The ministry said manpower rationalisation is a routine administrative process aimed at improving efficiency by redistributing posts that have become redundant over time to more critical operational and safety roles.
According to the ministry, there is no net reduction in sanctioned strength for 2025–26.
Instead, several thousand posts have been newly created in safety-related categories to strengthen core operations.
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Officials maintained that the exercise focuses on better utilisation of existing staff rather than job cuts.
Earlier reports had suggested that nearly 29,906 posts would be eliminated across zones, with the highest reductions in Northern and Southern Railways.
These reports also indicated that non-safety roles would be targeted, with redundant positions either surrendered or staff redeployed.
While the ministry reiterated that no serving employee would lose their job, labour unions have expressed concern. They reportedly argue that the Railways is already facing a significant staff shortage, with over 3.5 lakh vacancies nationwide.
Unions also flagged worries about outsourcing and a slowdown in fresh recruitment, particularly in essential services, reports said last week.
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